Search the Sheets
by yourbeautifulnightmare
Summary: A fluffy three-part capture of the love that Draco and Ginny come to share in a difficult and lonely world of war and hate. Pure D x G bliss...
1. Chapter 1

Search the Sheets

**Search the Sheets**

War had dawned on the Wizarding world and in following the same analogy, did not seem to be setting any time in the near future. Citizens were shaken out of the lull of complacency that followed the then-unknown temporary downfall of Voldemort through Harry Potter. Ever able-bodied man and woman united in a massive war effort, influenced not by outlandish propaganda machines but the very real threat of the Dark Lord's possible reign over Wizardom.

The Order of the Phoenix remained a main player in these war games, headed by the illustrious Albus Dumbledore. Making good of his reputation as the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared, Dumbledore managed to pull off what was considered impossible.

He protected the identity of a traitorous Death Eater from _Voldemort _himself.

▪Ж▪

Draco worked as a battle strategist for _The_ Army, the collective armed forces of witches and wizards across the globe to combat the equally global threat of Voldemort's expansionist policy. He found that his job was exciting, frightening, boring and rewarding all in equal amounts. Most of all however, he found that the job was exhausting. The job description entailed that he meet and greet magic-folk from all corners of the globe, often traveling to the very same corners to research battle strategies and to coordinate trans-continental attacks. His past occupation afforded him generous knowledge of the inner-workings and trends of his ex-colleagues, information that was priceless in the war.

Gains and losses were natural for The Collective as well as the Dark, but Dumbledore and other military officials would be lying if they denied the significance of Draco's input to the gains they made.

The tiring aspect of Draco's position was not only the achingly long hours and the nights overtime he worked, but the regular burning pain he felt in his left forearm. Dumbledore had been able to suppress some of the pain Draco experienced whenever Voldemort called so that it was bearable, but the Dark Mark was not a trifle piece of Dark Magic that could easily be undone with a spell – Draco had to endure. No morphenic incantation could reduce the pain any further.

One would most certainly wonder, what on _earth _Draco Malfoy was doing fighting _against _the Voldemort.

If one heard the honest answer, he or she may laugh, scoff, snort or roll their eyes in derision and disbelief.

Draco Malfoy had fallen in love. With someone who belonged to The Collective. Ginny Weasley no less.

Two years ago, at a tender twenty one years of age, he was sent by Voldemort to go do some general scouting. Draco went about it with disinterest. He didn't like to admit, he was loyal to Voldemort out of family duty, not out of his own emotions.

He stumbled among a _gold mine. _Figuratively speaking. On a small island in the Pacific he discovered a whole division of training soldier-Aurors! Sneering at the hole in their magical defense they had created around the training camp, Draco's mind reeled over the rewards that Voldemort would surely bestow upon him at his easy discovery.

Stupidly, he rested against a tree for a moment in contemplation. By the time he heard the pounding footsteps and the steady breathing of a jogger, it was too late. Someone had seen him.

Ginny Weasley had caught him.

The scene that occurred now would have been quite comical if not given the high stakes involved with war.

Ginny stared open mouthed at Draco as his eyes widened in concern, trepidation and glee in equal amounts.

"Holy shit, whatthefuck, shiiit!" Ginny had said first, her heart palpitating in panic as she realised her wand was in her _other _pair of robes.

_This is why Captain Montgomery always tells us to carry our bloody wands! _Thought Ginny to herself uselessly.

Ginny then proceeded to fall into an attacking stance and opened her mouth to scream for help. Draco reacted quickly with the only solution he could think of at the time.

_Kidnap the redheaded chit! _

The next few moments occurred very quickly. Draco whipped out his wand, stupefied Ginny, caught her body before it hit the ground and apparated away from the training group that was not far away to a nearby island. Just before he disappeared, Draco executed non-verbal magic that removed any trace of himself from the island. A clever little piece of magic that baffled and frustrated The Collective's authority to no end.

At another exotic location, Draco appeared with a _crack _out of thin air and dumped the youngest Weasley unceremoniously on the ground and proceeded to ward the small island with all the disillusioning magic he possessed.

He dared not to transport Ginny to Voldemort's base as an official prisoner of war. By now magical transportation control would have maxed its personnel in finding what he considered, the she-weasel.

Unsure of his next move as of yet, Draco sighed and enervated Ginny.

As Ginny slowly recovered from Draco's powerful stunning spell in the rich glow of the setting sun that seemed to set fire to her hair, Draco did not expect to fall into a spiral of passionate love.

No.

Draco's plan was to apparate Ginny to the base at nightfall, but when nightfall came, his sneakoscope was whirring out of control. Pointing his wand to the sky, he shot a discerning spell and a few moments later, magical silver writing spelled out 'large scale Dark Mark detecting charms cast all throughout Pacific.'

Swearing under his breath, Draco realised he was stuck. He was only one Death Eater, no match for an entire army of soldier-Aurors.

He looked down at Weasley who was magically chained to a coconut tree and carried an expression of acute fright and sighed heavily.

"Looks like we're stuck Weasley."

Ginny just replied with a scared doe-eyed expression. He was the one with the wand.

"Trainee soldier-Auror right?" prompted Draco with a tired rub of his eyes. Ginny felt no need to conceal this well-known tidbit of information and replied by stiffly jerking her head in a nod.

Draco suddenly smiled a very disarming and warm smile.

"Trainees don't have any information. Looks like I won't have to torture you."

Ginny's only was response was to smile nervously and shuffle unconsciously away from him.

A month later, Ginny was no longer magically bound to a tree and was free to move around the island as much as she liked. Most of her time was spent swimming within the magical boundaries Draco and set and watching her captor. She found that she could make polite requests for clothes, food and water from him without fear.

Two months later, Ginny was sharing friendly although reserved, banter with Draco. Conversational topics ranged from the price of food during the war time to surprisingly, ideology. Ginny voiced her opinion on the need to do "right" and "good" whilst Draco enigmatically replied "well, I'll be the bad to emphasize your good."

The evening that statement was uttered, Ginny pondered not only escape plans, but Draco's life.

Three months later, Ginny rose silently from the thin blankets Draco had conjured her to try and steal his wand in the dead of the night. She had just completed the stealth and tracking unit of her training and was confident she could swipe the magical instrument from the wand-holder in his trousers. Ginny could feel herself becoming interested in the Death Eater. Somewhere along the lines, she lost reason to fear Draco, and instead, became preoccupied with him. The conversations they had now could be even called amicable and perhaps… enjoyable? Ginny was naïve enough to allow herself some romantic notions of the quiet blonde. Conversely, Ginny was knowledgeable enough to know that no good could possibly come out of their union. That was her reason why she had to take action _now. _Before she fell deeper… in an imagined love.

Making nary a sound, Ginny crept up to Draco's long, still sleeping form. In the dying flickers of firelight, his facial features were relaxed and unfettered. Ginny could admit to herself he was extremely attractive when she observed him brooding and planning, drawing battle lines in the sand. However, this expression that she daren't study for too long in the long evenings by the fire added a whole new element to his enigmatic character.

Ginny mentally slapped herself. _Stop thinking about him like that! _She scolded silently.

She had just extended her arm towards Draco's waistband when it happened. It was over so fast. One moment she was reaching in the air in front of her, next she was on her stomach, a weight was on her back, a fierce stranglehold was on her neck and a small dagger was poised near her heart.

"Little Weasley. I suggest you never try anything so fundamentally stupid again," whispered Draco threateningly into the shell of her ear.

Ginny's heart was racing, thudding, it was so loud she swore Draco could hear it. At his silky voice at her ear, Ginny felt a large shiver rip through her body. At the stiffening of Draco's body she knew he felt it too.

Slowly, Draco lifted himself off Ginny, but since he was touching her warm and slender neck, he couldn't seem to let go.

Ginny twisted around to face him and looked him in the eyes. All thoughts of being killed for trying to steal a Death Eater's wand fled. Ginny screamed in jubilation internally.

She was having a _moment! _With _Draco Malfoy! _

Adrenalin was pumping through both bodies in abounds in that moment.

_Should I kiss her? Does she want to be kissed? Ohhh I want to! _Ran Draco's thoughts uncontrollably.

Draco kissed her.

Ginny fell in love, taking Draco down with her.

Draco kept Ginny "hostage" for another three months after that evening. In their isolated environment, both found they had no one else to answer to but their own desires. Both had eyed each other hungrily, although secretly since they had arrived.

With what seemed like unlimited time in an alien but wonderful slice of earth, Draco rapidly lost sight and sense of his past goals and ambitions with Voldemort. There was always a little fissure in his heart that servitude to the Dark Lord could never mend, but being with Ginny suddenly rendered it unbroken. Not only that, it seemed to expand as well.

Ginny was somewhat an opportunist. With Harry, she understood the emotional climate of happiness, and decided that after the post-quidditch success would be the optimum moment for her to stake her claim.

Here, prisoner of a dangerous Death Eater on a tiny tropical island that was better perceived as a honeymoon destination, Ginny grasped that she would never be able to connect with such an interesting and not-so-inherently-evil man in such ideal emotional and picturesque conditions.

Draco, who always retained a suspicious streak in him, decided to test the extent of Ginny's love. In the warm nights where Ginny's breath blew steadily onto his neck and chest, Draco decided he wanted her forever, but wanted even more to have his heart not to be shred to tatters if it eventuated that Ginny was actually using him.

Rising noisily so to wake Ginny but not loudly enough to make it sound like he'd expected her to wake, Draco ensured he had his lover's attention. He removed the existing restraining wards over the island but mispronounced the replacement spell purposefully. Ginny's keen ears would have picked up the easy-to-make mistake. The wards were useless.

Draco reasoned with himself. If she remained on the isle, he would feel unadulterated happiness that would be an entirely new and probably addictive emotion. If Ginny escaped… he'd never chase after her. His heart would shatter, a risk he would never have taken before Ginny. He'd never be able to look at beautiful women the same again.

A week passed, Ginny, if anything, seemed to fall even deeper for Draco after she sensed the anxiousness radiating from him. There was more kissing him, whiling long hours away talking to him and molding her body to him.

Draco could finally accept that she didn't want to leave him. An impossibly warm glow spread from the centre of his chest outwards, until he could no longer contain it all inside. The feeling was so bright, so warm, so alive that Ginny unconsciously understood that she had completely won the blonde-haired, grey-eyed man over.

After six months Draco admitted while they were both naked in the sea that he couldn't imagine living contentedly without her.

In sheer joy, Ginny squealed unashamedly at this news and jumped onto him, tipping them back into the vibrant turquoise of the ocean. Rising up for air, Draco tossed his sopping platinum hair from his face and smiled genuinely, gripping Ginny by her waist and holding her to his body.

"So don't live without me. Live _with me _Draco," Ginny suggested with hope in her eyes.

Draco tensed and let Ginny slide back to the water to stand on her own two feet. It was a touchy issue that neither had wanted to acknowledge whilst they were falling for each other at a speed that felt like mach 2.

"Draco, don't be like that," implored Ginny sadly.

"Like what?" Draco muttered darkly.

"There! Like that! What's wrong with coming to the light side?"

Draco's jaw clenched.

"Shit, I'll rephrase. Uhh, …" Ginny supplied dumbly. How else could she describe her "side" of the war?

"Look Weasley, if it was just _that _simple –"

"Oh yeah, as simple as falling in love with a Weasel," sniped Ginny, crossing her arms across her exposed breasts and feeling her cheeks warm with disappointment.

"Weasley, oh, look, Ginny. No Death Eater who betrays Voldemort gets away with it. I've known too many people… and what Voldemort does to-" Draco stopped abruptly. Ginny was so _young. _Physically, only a year younger than Draco, but mentally – she was still in war training. She had no idea what was going to hit her. Emotionally and physically.

Ginny removed her hands from her chest, her endowments already viewed daily by Draco anyway. Instead, she placed them just under the water as she thought.

"But no Death Eater has approached Dumbledore for help," she said quietly. "After all, he's the only wizard-"

"That Voldemort has ever feared. I know Ginny," continued Draco sarcastically. Ginny pouted unhappily at his tone while he whispered under his breath "I don't fucking count on it."

"Alright. Fine. Let us leave that variable alone for the moment. What other compunctions do you have about spending the rest of your goddamn life with me? Huh Mr Malfoy?" jibed Ginny, hoping her crude and terribly un-subtle phrasing would convince Draco to leave Voldemort.

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, Draco said "if it were only that _simple _damn it!"

Ginny was happy that she was making some progress, she continued enthusiastically, "I think it is actually."

Draco looked sharply at Ginny. "What?"

"I think, it is actually very, very simple."

"Oh pray tell? Give up two generations of Malfoy ideology?" snapped Draco with irritation.

Ginny grinned, placed one hand on her bare hip and examined her fingernails absently with her other hand.

"Wench! Explain immediately!" Draco stated at her expression.

"Don't you see Draco? The two fundamental reasons _why _people rag-tag along with Voldemort is tradition and power. Firstly, those who commit to him for _power _reasons are sadly, sadly mistaken! What true _power _do you actually possess? The power to be bent humbly and yet so _painfully _forcibly to Riddle? A _half _blood? All the power you supposedly gain all adds to _his _supreme power."

Draco's jaw clenched tightly. He could not refute Ginny's statement.

"Listen up Mal-ferret, this applies to you the most. Secondly, _tradition and ideology. _I seriously don't deny that these can be the fundamental principles to how a person may live his or her life. That is… is if it's the most important thing to them."

Draco eyed Ginny shrewdly. If she had the gall to suggest, to assume…!

"And to you, Mr Malfoy…" Ginny trailed a salty path from Draco's abdomen up to the underside of his chin with her forefinger. "…I am the most important thing. I will make you happy where ideology and tradition will not. You and I, we're human. We're inherently selfish, and you want me the most."

Ginny's voice had dropped to a low and seductive whisper, and Draco found it utterly irresistible coming from her. Growling, he captured her smirking lips into a salty kiss. It was a kiss of extreme satisfaction for Ginny. She knew she was right. Draco knew she was right.

"I cannot believe myself," Draco muttered darkly as he tore his lips away from Ginny's.

"Mmm," mmed Ginny as she peppered kisses all over very slightly tanned chest and neck. Ginny knew she had won.

"You survive this union with the least loss! You get to keep your god-damn ideology and you walk away with a sexy, sexy man who would badly like to nail you three feet into the sand," he growled, clutching her wet naked body closer to his.

Ginny pulled sharply away from Draco's body to look him deeply in the eyes.

"I know," she whispered solemnly. "And I am so lucky to have you."

Ginny's eyelids fluttered rapidly as she tried to contain the sudden torrent of happy tears. Draco wrapped his valuable little redhead into his arms to share the warmth of the sun that had suddenly exploded his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

Search the Sheets

**Search the Sheets**

When all was said and done and Draco and Ginny had decided to be together, to stay together – they spent one last night on the Pacific Island completely alone, watching the sun make its small fall into the horizon of brilliant and tranquil blues.

"I'll protect you from my red-haired kinship upon arrival fair Draco!" Ginny whispered teasingly into Draco's ear as they prepared to apparate away.

In the heat of their hideaway, Draco had rolled up the sleeves of his black robes and the Dark Mark on his left forearm was leering conspicuously. Both Draco and Ginny darted their eyes too it and back to each other. Draco had to count on Ginny's protection… lest he be torn to pieces.

Two pairs of eyes, one brown, one grey, took one last look at the little slice of heaven they had stumbled upon before disappearing with a _crack. _

Needless to say when Draco and Ginny suddenly appeared at the Burrow's doorstep with a resounding _crack, _sheer pandemonium ensued. There was months of "Ginny? Have you ever heard of the Stockholm Syndrome? When you become affectionate towards your captor? I think you've got it…". There were a lot of threats of other various mental health examinations and theories of "imperio."

Draco was subject to weeks of stringent truth tests with veritaserum despite the first batch declaring his honesty in wanting to become the Order's agent. Draco was also questioned about his emotions in relation to the youngest fair Weasley and he found that he was uselessly trying to shape his horribly emotional answer – much to the embarrassment of Ron and himself. Ron could not rid himself of the painful honesty in which Draco had answered _"I love her, I am in love with her and I would do anything for her. She has completely snared my heart and I have never known happiness to this extreme degree." _His words haunted Ron late at night when he was alone in bed his fiancé Hermione Granger in his arms. It was exactly how Ron felt about his bushy-haired, bright-minded girl.

Dumbledore – who had an excellent eye for character had also visited Draco within the Ministry's holding cells. He was thoroughly buoyed by the step Draco had taken not exactly _for _the 'Light', but against Voldemort and was the first person apart from Molly Weasley who had _not _shown varying degrees of hatred and mistrust toward him. Dumbledore read over the transcripts of the veritaserum interview and the motives for which Draco had for turning. Dumbledore with subtleness wove Ginny's name here and there in the conversation and watched for whether Draco's steely grey eyes would brighten in interest. Not once did the irises not change shade almost imperceptibly, despite Draco's absolutely unemotional expression. Draco looked on at his old headmaster shrewdly as Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with the satisfaction of confirmation.

Molly Weasley visited often during the weeks where Draco's identity and motives were being sifted through and brought home-made foods, an emerald jumper with a grey 'D' knitted in the middle and various photo albums to help alleviate the unavoidable boredom and loneliness of waiting. Through the photographs, Draco (who could not possibly protest against his new love's _mother_!) was suddenly subject to the latest generation of Weasley's photographic history. Molly started from Bill down to Ginny, and Draco noted with a small sliver of fear that as a collective, Ginny's brethren had massive amounts of muscle. Molly noted with delight the obvious attention Draco would pay Ginny whenever she appeared.

On the last visit of Molly's before Draco was allowed to pledge to the Order, she shrewdly announced with a succinctness, "you're probably wondering why all of a sudden I – the mother and wife of a family who have all been subject to Malfoy derision am suddenly so enthused to see you?"

Draco could only nod with surprise. Yes indeed… he had been brooding about that. "Ginny explained to me what happened on that island… and no, not _everything _Draco," interjected Molly. Her eyes, at the widening of Draco's, were twinkling with mischief. "Her story corresponded with the Weasley grandfather clock. For the first few weeks, the Ginny's clock-hand _was _pointing at mortal peril… but then it moved away from it. That's when Ginny started to perceive that there was something …different about you? But the hand didn't settle on any of the standard locations or actions. It was confused…" Draco nodded at this point – not sure where the Weasley matriarch was going with her anecdote. Molly smiled warmly at Draco and leant over to put his hand in hers. Continued with a small laugh, she said, "I suppose the Weasley forefathers hadn't thought to include a small other tidbit of information on the clock, apart from school and work and the like. Our clock didn't know where to point when all Ginny was preoccupied with doing was falling in love."

▪Ж▪

Draco's eyes snapped open to see the bed he shared with Ginny bathed in the full moon's light when he heard a forlorn howling in the distance.

_Lupin _thought Draco wearily, slanting his wrist in the dappled light to look at the time. _Four o'clock am… great_ groaned Draco internally, silently berating the werewolf despite knowing that Lupin couldn't exactly help it. Draco tiredly scrubbed at his eyes and stubble and decided that he wouldn't bother going back to sleep for another half hour. Military standards - especially his position as strategist – demanded that all arrived on their designated times on the dot. For Draco this was six am. When he usually awoke at four thirty, he would head out to exercise in the dead quiet of early morning for forty five minutes, return to the tiny flat he shared with Ginny, shower, throw breakfast together hastily to then head out the door looking completely immaculate and in control with his hair combed, his face shaved and his Ministry robes spotless with a black dragonhide briefcase in hand.

Arriving at the Ministry usually ten minutes early – Draco would fix himself a strong cup of coffee, scan his eyes over the yards of parchment that were magically tacked onto the walls of his department and mentally organise his appointments for that day. When the clock ticked over to six am exactly, Draco's colleagues would flow into the department, make their greetings and settle for a long day of analyzing military reports, soldier-Auror statistics, weather reports, maps and other various items of information relating to the fierce war being waged.

A trying occupation that yielded unbelievable satisfaction when a job was well-done, meaning a Collective attack well planned, a Death Eater trap executed to perfection, global troops reporting success in the masses and masses of scrolls that the Military Strategy department painstakingly pore over.

Conversely, Draco experienced utter devastating dread at he and his colleague's equal amount of failures. Draco Malfoy was never one to do what is often coined a "half-arse" job. In his service to Voldemort, and now in his service to The Collective – Draco accomplished all his tasks with unbreakable determination, efficiency and to call on the British stereotype – excellence. Draco found himself acutely aware of how most men and women in action would view his position in the war. Draco was from "higher above", he was part of the authority who determined the 'hows' and 'whyfores' of millions of lives. Down in where the hot-blooded action was occurring, all successes and pride was sourced back to the actions of the men and women in battle themselves. All failures, defeats and gross losses of life were angrily directed back up to those who outranked them and made the decisions. Draco could understand that war mentality. It was easy to blame those who were all talk and no action - even if it was their job.

The days stretched very long in Draco's occupation – his sleek platinum blonde hair would _always _be severely ruffled and unkempt by the end of the day. Most of the time, the witches and wizards in Strategy were stuck on a problem. Days could be whiled away muttering and poking at maps, charming miniature soldier-Aurors to have mock-battles with Death Eaters and trying to match new foreign intelligence with what was information was already existing. Every decision made to send forth troops or to withdraw them was debated contentiously with two priorities jostling for the main attention - eliminating Voldemort and preserving life.

Draco and many others could often be spotted working up past ten in the evening, burning the midnight oil trying to find efficient military solutions to pressing conflict problems.

International travel was also a large factor of Draco's job – and often he would hastily be portkeyed to various different nations and countries for a day, sometimes longer depending on time differences to then be portkeyed back to England feeling utterly drained.

Usually, Draco would wearily apparate home at around eight in the evening, disable the multitude of security and defense wards around the flat, reheat the dinner that Ginny would have prepared for him during the day and then wearily shuffle to bed and fall asleep immediately.

That morning, with the extra half an hour Draco had to spare, he naturally turned his head to the right to look at the small lump next to him. Ginny's deep red hair seemed to explode from underneath the white doona, which rose and fell steadily with every breath she took. Draco afforded himself a small unguarded smile at her. It felt like forever since he had truly held Ginny and his arms suddenly yearned for her. Draco thought guiltily at the pleasure he was going to allow himself… He sat up straight with his back against the bed's headboard and gently pulled Ginny's sleeping form towards him, settling her in his lap and letting her head rest on his shoulder. She didn't awake fully at the movement – just as Draco had expected. She was far too tired.

"Mmmlmgfmmf," mumbled Ginny unintelligibly however into Draco's neck. He only kissed her hair, her forehead and the shell of her ear in response and allowed Ginny to continue sleeping on him for the next twenty five minutes.

Draco completely luxuriated in that moment. He understood depressingly that he never spent any substantial time with Ginny anymore – ironic because they had been _living alone _together for the past year. For the year before that, both resided in and out of The Burrow and Grimmauld Place – an overbearing requirement of Ginny's family. However both acquiesced, given Draco's less-than-admirable background. Draco and Ginny decided that a year was long enough for Ginny's family to understand the surprising depth of love they held for each other and had adamantly put forth the motion of moving out. Now here they were, in an absolutely tiny, but discreet flat that was close to the Order's headquarters. The flat was the size of a matchbox compared to what Draco was used to living in but he first reasoned – at least he was alone with Ginny. _And away from her interfering, pain in the arse, intimidating and infuriating brothers! _Draco had thought triumphantly.

Unfortunately for Draco, the one redhead he actually coveted was for the most part, absent from his immediate presence. Draco did suppose he _could _take time off work… but his job was rigorous, almost fit for a complete anti-socialite. What more was that Draco felt – to his immense surprise and slight disgust – guilty. He did not have a picture perfect past, in fact, it was liberally dotted with murders and the tortures of the loved ones that he now pledged his allegiance to. He felt he _owed _working himself to the bone to the Order and various members of the Ministry for letting him indulge his immense craving for the beautiful and loving little firecracker; Ginny Weasley.

Draco was about to cease his soft kisses and gentle caresses to prepare for his morning workout when he heard Ginny sleep-talk, almost too quietly to hear, "Sorry Harry, but I want Draco..."

Draco hadn't smiled so widely and so uncontrollably since he last saw Ron the hot-tempered soldier-Auror trip over a doorstop in the Strategy office and fall face-first onto the ground right in front of a Veela who was delegating for France. That was over six months ago.

▪Ж▪

Ginny was not a stranger to strenuous workloads either. Ginny had recently graduated from soldier-Auror training with a nifty little commendation from the head trainer, despite her disastrous incident with Draco and her stupid lack of wand… which turned out to be not-so disastrous after all.

To Ginny's immense surprise, one of the two of her best friends, Luna Lovegood had signed up to be in the same training squad and contingent as Ginny when they were only a few months out of Hogwarts. Ginny had questioned her dirty blonde-haired friend about her choice and about the _Quibbler. _Luna had airily replied "ah, a hard life, boil and toil, battlefield burns, rigorous conflict training and fitness will sharpen my reflexes! Those snorkacks can't escape an ex-military woman!" Ginny laughed gaily and hugged Luna tightly. Both girls knew the real reason why Luna was also heading into the war. The two were soul sisters. They had done practically everything together. Ginny knew she would draw strength from Luna's quirky company in the tough years to come.

Now, Ginny along with Luna and a whole army of close friends they had made (pun intended) during years of training were officially the army reserve. Ginny's contingent could be called up into active service any day if Draco and the rest of the higher ups he worked with decided to deploy them.

Ginny knew the conflict of interest that could occur if Draco ever knew _which _contingent she was in exactly… and had been assured that Draco would never find out. She had been assured correctly. Draco, in vain, had searched with all of his position's powers to discover which contingent Ginny belonged in – but every search had resulted in the frustrating red words _CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. _The day Draco had hit a dead with his search was a bit of an ugly one to say the least. Draco and Ginny had fought bitterly over her involvement and her secrecy in and about the war. Draco eventually lost and had to rely on _hoping _that he never, ever, picked Ginny's contingent to fight. Draco, a man of sureties, plan D's and C's as well as the standard B's was disgusted that he was leaving the safety of his principle importance to _chance. _

Other roles that reserve army men and women possessed were principally to a) keep fit and b) complete community service. Ginny spent half of her time completing intense exercise and competing in strenuous mock-duels and physical sparrings. The other half of her time was used in patrolling the streets of Britain and assisting magical and muggle citizens in any way and form. Over the past seven months, Ginny had been helping the muggle state emergency volunteers repair housing from "freak storms" (she did most of the repairing of Death Eater attacks with magic when she confused the muggles with a nifty confusion charms and memory modification spells) through to helping design pamphlets on war safety.

Ginny had to admit, while she had the appearance and the mannerisms of a gung-ho battle enthusiast, she possessed enough maturity to understand that war was no simple glory-march against a knock-over enemy. Ginny's older brothers slipped through The Collective's censorship board to talk to her seriously about the brutal life at war. Every brother who had taken part in some active service, and that was all of them excluding Ron, had asked her whether she still really wanted to partake in the bloodbath. Real fear shone from Ginny's eyes, but she nodded resolutely every single time. Bill nodded solemnly, having accepted all of his siblings were determined to take a part. His reply to his young sister, who he loved dearly but did not know thoroughly because of the large age gap was "Ginbug, I may have been the one to save you from the other boys' use of you as a practice dummy when you were a wee lass, but I have complete faith in you to break them all into pieces now. I love you."

Charlie had responded to Ginny's "yes, I still want to fight," by slinging his arm around her shoulder and telling her in a hushed, conspirator-like whisper, "shh, don't tell your friends, but I have in Romania a miniature New Zealand Opal Eye dragon who is a wee little tyke who'll be as sweet as pie to you because you're my Ginbug. He never gets hungry for days, is an omnivore and is small enough to fit into your pocket or ride on your shoulder unnoticeably. If you get into _any _trouble… let's just say you'll be so safe you can kick back and roast some marshmallows while he looks after you! I love you."

Percy whose dormant and deeply hidden sense of family was roused at the alarming deaths around him immediately returned to the Burrow and the Order where he was welcomed immediately. His concern for his youngest sibling was very pompously phrased but Ginny could sense the underlying worry and tension in her third eldest brother. The warm words Percy parted with were "Ginevra. As you understand, Penelope is a rather successful psychologist and she has recently completed an excellent theorem on Death Eater mentality. As of yet, it is not published – but she and I would like to issue one to you Ginevra. I deplore that you read it… Ginny. It… it is likely to keep you safe." Percy's voice was beginning to crack with the emotion he was not comfortable with expressing. "I, I love you."

Fred and George had mirrored expressions of utmost seriousness that for a moment, Ginny thought they were about to pull off a prank or a joke. After Ginny declared her strong desire to fight, Fred and George nodded solemnly with troubled eyes. Just when Ginny thought _this is the longest these two have ever been so… so… serious! _the twins suddenly cracked identical grins and started shouting in unison "Jiminy Jiminy Jiminy Gin! From the engine rooms of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, we present to you… Death Eater Dandy's! Ever had a touch of bother with those pesky You-Know-Who bumsniffers? This one deploys to look 'Arry Potter! A dummy that is to scale, those gits will be falling _over _themselves to kill a large piece of fluff!" As Ginny stared with amazement at the "Death Eater Distractors" the twins had created and dumped onto her lap, they both announced again it utter seriousness, "we love you."

Ron was a reserve soldier-Auror like Ginny, and didn't have any military experience to share. Instead, Ron looked slyly over at his sister and without warning leaped onto her and started to rub his fist into her hair.

"Noogie noogie noogie!" said Ron infuriatingly, completely destroying the elaborate half-up Ginny had painstakingly charmed for the date she was going to share with Draco that evening.

"Ron!" Ginny had yelled with frustration, but there wasn't really any anger in it. She was too mushy from all the attention her brothers had recently bestowed onto her. "You're going to tell me you love me right?"

Ron grinned with a hint of pink tinging his cheeks. "Yeah. I love you sis. You're the best."

Ginny's eyes had twinkled and she threw herself, for the sixth time, at one of her brothers for a hug. On this occasion it was Ron.

It was oddly enough, a supremely happy time for the Weasley children in The Burrow house hold. Arthur and Molly smiled gently. Never had all of the Weasley children gotten along at the same time.

So despite the warm family feeling she was suddenly hit with, Ginny looked to the war with a icy sliver of fear in her gut.

So while most of her life was running suspiciously smoothly, Ginny knew there had to be something lacking. It was her time with Draco. Infuriatingly, Ginny's reserve roster always, _always _without fail, scheduled her for nightly duties. This meant that Ginny didn't have to prepare for exercise and duties until four thirty to be ready by five o'clock. This literally meant Draco and Ginny barely saw each other even though they lived in the same place. Ginny would be out of the flat by five pm and not return until one in the morning. This put her at odds with Draco's four thirty _morning _preparations and eight o'clock pm return. All the time they could possibly be guaranteed to spend with each other was between one and four thirty in the morning – which was purely ridiculous. There were rare instances they saw each other at other times when Ginny was given a day off or Draco if came home early. All of the very serious talking was spent in these wee hours of the morning, but even then it was very brief and very succinct.

During the day, when Ginny awoke at nine in the morning, had finished breakfasting and any other visits and errands she had to run, she would pop down to the Ministry and chat with Helena, Draco's friendly secretary. Helena would always have some free time to gossip about idle things that Ginny found rather refreshing. Every time Helena saw Ginny walking down the hall, she would grin and quietly peek into the room Draco and other strategists and Collective officials and generals worked and 80 of the time Helena would return with a sad shake of her head.

The lovely 20 of the time that Helena would return with a pair of thumbs up was always an immense thrill for Ginny. Draco, who would be fully awake, would step out of the office with adorably ruffled platinum hair and a smirk on his face. Most importantly, Ginny could interpret his body language as being completely into her and she could be reminded that Draco Malfoy _wanted _her despite him never really seeing her back at home, and Ginny could then let go of a breath that she never knew she was holding so hard.

▪Ж▪

"Wow… we're actually finished for today…" muttered Draco with immense surprise at the neat piles of parchment on his desk and the large world map hanging on the wall with miniature soldiers fighting mock-battles. It was only three thirty in the afternoon.

"Yes…" came the heavily accented voice of Francesca, the French woman Draco had been working with for the past week. "How about some late… lunch," asked Francesca suggestively. Draco rolled his eyes internally. Francesca was no ninny, she was a brilliant military strategist, but the most annoying flirt ever! Now that his day's work was complete, he could tell her to, in other words, piss off. Her blatant sexuality, which was very appealing, was constantly reminding Draco of Ginny and how he couldn't exactly _have _the redheaded siren at that moment.

In pure frustration, an idea suddenly occurred to Draco. His lips involuntarily arched into a smirk. Who the hell cared if he was being rude, she was French.

"Yes, Francesca. A late lunch would be divine," he agreed in a smooth voice, immediately turning on the charm. Draco almost eye-rolled in real life at the obvious excitement of the woman when she thought he was finally reacting to her attempts. He gathered his things quickly and soon the proceeded to the dining area.

Draco ate quickly, maintaining fluid conversation, in French – to Francesca's great delight. He dropped hints about the money he had and his appreciation for women in jewelry. The Frenchwoman nearly choked on her food in excitement. She believed she was going to be portkeying back to France with after a great shag and a British-made diamond ring.

Draco maintained the charm and exaggerated how he mapped out the Frenchwoman's body with his eyes. He led Francesca to a jewelry store to her immense delight and announced, "I am going to buy a ring for a beautiful… beautiful woman I know. I surely need some help in selecting a ring for her." Draco maintained eye contact with the woman during the whole demand and dropped his voice a notch. She was putty in Draco's hands. It was too easy.

Forty minutes later, Francesca was pointing at a platinum band with three small square cut diamonds sunken into it with surprise. She thought she was going to get something with… more rocks?

"You want this one?" she asked again… unsure.

Draco smirked. "Yes, I do. The beauty of this woman that I adore is already so… much that any extra shine would surely not be healthy for a mere man."

Francesca blushed. So it wasn't exactly what she wanted, but this British man was sexy and she wasn't going to say no to _platinum _and diamonds. She nodded in acceptance. Draco smirked and her knees wobbled.

After making the payment, Draco led Francesca out of the store to stand on the pavement. Francesca was practically shaking with anticipation.

"Francesca…" Draco leaned in huskily. "Thank you for your company during lunch… and invaluable female opinion on rings. Wish me luck…" Draco leaned in closer and Francesca's body tensed in anticipation.

"I am going to propose to my girlfriend with this ring."

"Ce qui?" shouted Francesca in surprise!

"What you ask? In English I suppose then Madam." Draco was feeling the satisfaction of payback. "I love another woman and I never intended to buy this ring for you. I shall see you in a fortnight's time to see how the French forces are going. Bye now." …and Draco Malfoy with a satisfied smirk apparated away to his flat away from the beautiful stuttering woman.

Draco was home before six! Amazing! He planned to get some kip and wake up before one in the morning when Ginny would get home to surprise her with his non-sleepy presence for once. He wasn't going to propose just yet, but soon. After getting past the wards and setting his briefcase down, he heard a muffled noise coming from the direction of his bedroom. All happy thoughts of finishing work early, embarrassing Francesca and proposing to Ginny disappeared as he instantly retracted into soldier mode. Draco drew his wand out and silently walked the very few steps to the bedroom door. It was half open and what Draco witnessed as the source of the noise made his mouth go dry.

Ginny was half naked on their bed, her hand pumping furiously at her red thatch of curls and she was making all sorts of devious noises. All rational thought left Draco's mind as he furiously began tugging his pants down.

"Oh, Draco!" Ginny moaned suddenly as she climaxed.

Draco's erection had almost formed fully, but at Ginny's wanton moaning of his name, every drop of blood in his body either dropped or rose to his midsection. Forgetting any thought of introducing himself, Draco positively roared and dove for the unsuspecting Ginny.

▪Ж▪

"Draco, I've really missed you," murmured Ginny over a very late dinner – her belly rumbling though in other ways she was completely satisfied…

Draco paused in bringing his fork to his mouth and displayed to Ginny a small crooked smile that only she was privy too. Stroking the curve of her jaw softly, Draco replied "I know. I'm sorry. I have missed you too."

It was now eleven o'clock in the evening… five hours since Draco had arrived home to discover Ginny in her deliciously compromising position. Both were pleasantly exhausted and eating in bed, their bare legs twined together under the covers.

Ginny finished her meal and set the bowl to the side. "Draco, I mean. I'd get home, every night… soooo tired, and you're so tired and then all I do is sleep and I want you to hold me but of course you can't and then at the same time my head hits the pillow and then you're not there in the morning-"

"-Ginny. I know. I don't want to leave the bed in the mornings."

"Draco… can we keep doing this? It's like I don't even see you."

"Yeah… I know. But you also know how guilty you'd feel if we snuck off back to our island for another few months or so."

"Hahah, I suppose. I'd sure like to go back… we could spend all day, you know… sun, surf, sex." Ginny winked at Draco at the third alliterative word and his eyes glinted hungrily back at her. "Draco, while I have the day off today, and you're here, not snoozing away," Draco nodded and grinned in apology. "I've just got to tell you, when I'm with you, I just feel like… Like I've gone insane or something-"

"Oh nice, Weasley, if this is the type of compliment your family gives, imagine the insults" interjected Draco.

"Oh shut up Malfoy. Let me finish," retorted Ginny, reaching her arm out to smack Draco lightly on the shoulder. His quick reflexes caught her hand and held it. Ginny almost sighed at the warmth that shot up her arm. "Um… ah oh yeah. When I'm with you, I just feel unreal. It's like nothing else matters all of a sudden because I am completely happy. Just so, happy, happy feeling like nothing will ever hurt me. It feels like all the troubles of the world, of my family, of mine just don't exist. I've never felt this way before with anyone else, and I'm not prepared to ever let you go to find out. …I mean, you know how I feel about you of course but, but yeah… this is my way of telling you that I'm yours forever. _Forever. _Just yeah… I love you Draco and I don't want anything to happen to us and for you to not understand how I feel.

By now Ginny was blushing furiously at the raw emotion she was expressing, something she had not done in a while. The glitter in Draco's eyes as he listened to her made a different kind of warmth begin to blossom in Ginny's chest.

_I'm not prepared to ever let you go to find out. _Ginny's words burned into Draco's mind, making him feel hot and cold at the same time. Draco couldn't really find the words to express how he felt, so he simply nodded.

Ginny's slightly worried expression melted away on the onset of a brilliant smile that took Draco's breath away. "We just haven't really talked in so long. Good to see Ferrets have some degree of memory!"

Draco didn't rise to take the bait to Ginny's teasing as he normally would. Instead, he gently set his dinner to the side, climbed on top of Ginny and slowly eased her onto her back, sliding himself between her legs in the process. Draco maintained steady contact with Ginny's soft brown eyes until they shuttered close in anticipation. He leant into the curve of Ginny's neck as he slowly slipped inside of her and whispered "we're both crazy."

▪Ж▪

When Ginny awoke the next morning, she felt gloriously sated and well-rested and it was a different feeling to simply having a good night's sleep (which she had every night anyway). Lazily, Ginny smiled into her pillow. She understood it was because her heart had been soothed of the subtle ache of separation. Ginny snaked her arm out search the sheets for Draco but her hope was bitterly rewarded with his absence. Disappointed that her great night with Draco couldn't be extend into the morning, Ginny pouted petulantly. She was sort of hoping that Draco would have been so _exhausted _with their lovemaking that he would simply sleep in and not go to work! Ginny could then have had the pleasure of watching Draco's unguarded sleep in the morning brightness.

_After the war…_ Ginny thought instead. It was now her mantra – _after the war. _

As Ginny sat up straighter, she caught sight of a little roll of parchment placed exactly in the centre of Draco's pillow. Ginny smirked to herself (a habit she had picked up over the past two years), Draco was always anal retentive. One only had to look at the small walk-in wardrobe the pair shared. Ginny's side was like a clothing explosion whilst the crisp neatness of Draco's could have belonged to that of a house elf.

_Dear Miss Weasley_

_Thank you for a fantastic evening, the fees for your services is on the kitchen table. _

Ginny's eyes widened and her lips formed a little 'o' of surprise as she read the audacity of Draco's opening line. "Cheeky sod," Ginny muttered to herself and kept reading Draco's elegant script.

_Tonight, I will enjoy your company again. Put on that little black dress you know your best customer happens to love and perhaps something to make you a bit taller?_

"Grr, Draco!" Ginny growled at the parchment again.

_Meet me at the entrance of the eighteenth apartment in the Glasshouse Apartments on Blossom Terrace promptly at 7o'clock. _

_I love you –_

_the most out of all the ladies recommended to me by the agency. _

_Regards,_

_Mister Malfoy._

The cheek of him! Ginny wondered about her work though. Had Draco so conveniently forgotten that? At that moment, the parchment in Ginny's hand begin to tug itself over to reveal the other side. It read;

"_x I pulled rank. Tonight, you will service me and no one else."_

So, Ginny had another night off! Draco had never used his position to get time together. Ginny immediately furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. She honestly didn't know what was going on. Deciding that she would find out in a few hours, Ginny shrugged and carried on with her day – the sting of not waking up beside Draco having already faded away in anticipation.

▪Ж▪

Draco announced for the first time in all of his employment in the Strategical department that he was only working a half day. His colleagues all simply stared at him in utter surprise. All members of the department worked diligently and determinedly – but Draco Malfoy was the hardest working out of them all. A perfectionist, a worrier and self-slave driver.

"Well you see…" Draco paused to let an extremely rare public smile shine through. "I'm proposing to my girlfriend tonight."

Roars of delight ensued, and for the next ten minutes witches and wizards abandoned their work to clap Draco on the back. Most were extremely surprised, and delighted as well, that the Death Eater turned Order member had a romantic relationship outside of his work. Curious questions were thrown about;

"Show us a picture laddie!"

"Ahh she must be a bit of harpy to fall for a work-obsessed snake like you Malfoy!"

Helena stuck her head into the office to inspect the commotion and squealed in delight as she heard the news. Only Draco's senior, Frank Wrightwood and Helena knew _who _exactly Draco's girlfriend was. In answer to everyone else's curious questions about Ginny, Draco enigmatically answered, "you will receive an invite to the wedding." The room cheered in response and excitement. Only Frank Wrightwood and Helena had an inkling of Draco's secret fear that Ginny may not be alive after the war if called into active service.

Soon the commotion died down and a strict working atmosphere settled over the room again. Soon after that there were groans of despair dotted everywhere.

"Our troops in Europe have nearly fallen completely, a few days they'll last at the most," said Kylie, Draco's colleague.

"Damn it. Blast!" growled Wrightwood, his grey bushy eyebrows knitting together in grief. "The attack formation should have worked."

"I hate being pushed back into defense," muttered Draco, his hand gripping his silvery-blonde hair in distress.

Eastern Europe had quite a forceful base of Voldemort loyalists who were one of the main threats globally to the success of The Collective. One of the most dangerous fronts to fight in – the especially vicious conflict in the East and West Europe was something legendary among soldier-Aurors.

Draco sighed in frustration and regret. The failure of their strategy was a painful blow and a bitter disappointment. The solution to change priorities from attack to defense was dreaded but not difficult. He voiced aloud "Somebody better fire up the floo networks to inform the other nations. Francesca will have two contingents ready, as will Australia and the US. I'll send the orders for Britain to deploy two of our reserves." Draco made a note, like he always did when he made a decision to deploy fresh troops on his roll of parchment amongst the nodding of his colleagues.

▪Ж▪

The plan of defense was easy to organise – the greatest pain was the depressiveness of it. Promptly at three, Draco picked up his briefcase and walked out of the office. The moral in there was supremely at odds with the excitement of Draco's proposal announcement earlier hat day. Only Helena retained her cheerfulness – partly because of her personality, partly because of Draco's announcement and partly because she was not privy to what happened inside the workroom.

"Good luck Draco!" Helena chirped.

Draco turned to her and heaved a sigh. He had to concentrate on happier things. "Thank you Helena. Have a good afternoon," Draco responded with a slight smile, before striding away from the office.

As he became more and more preoccupied with what he had to prepare for that night, the bitterness of the loss faded away into a distant corner of Draco's mind. That evening, he was going to cook dinner, hold Ginny close and then get down on his knee. Then – Ginny would be a step closer to being officially his. Draco was still feeling warm from Ginny's comment the previous night. This would be his way of promising his love as well.

When he arrived back to the small flat, Ginny was not at home just as he had planned. He had cast a distracting spell – by one o'clock, when Ginny walked past the walls of her apartment she'd feel an incredible need to prepare for her date that evening at The Burrow with the mother – and would not return until seven.

Draco quickly divested himself of the heavy outer Ministry robes and rolled up the sleeves of his white business shirt.

_I'm going to need a coffee _Draco thought to himself. Draco was indeed going to need a coffee for the amount of cooking and spellcasting he was going to complete between three and seven o'clock.

▪Ж▪

"Thanks mum, the hair looks great," said Ginny to her mother in the front walkway of The Burrow. She looked at herself critically in the full length mirror and was satisfied at the woman who stared back. Ginny had slipped into a form-fitting little black dress, a favourite of Draco's that Ginny never found the opportunity to wear much. The design was simple, it had a deep 'V' cut in the bust and the back and was cut just rightly so to cling to Ginny's body. A deceptively simple piece, but Ginny loved it because she always felt so beautiful in it. Her creamy pale legs were lengthened by a largely unworn pair of black heels and Ginny's long vibrant red hair was pulled into a half-up, with small locks of red framing her pale face.

"Mum?" Ginny questioned after a few moments. Molly had not replied.

Instead, Molly Weasley was staring at her youngest child – the only female Weasley to be born in generations and generations. She was absolutely beautiful. She nearly choked with tears.

"No dear, you're quite welcome. Draco will fall over when he looks at you," Molly finally replied.

"Ahh thanks mum. It's just good genes you know," countered Ginny with a wink. "If you only knew how many girls befriend me just to get with the boys."

Molly merely smiled with pride.

"It's just so strange you know?" Ginny continued as she packed her matching black handbag – an expensive gift from Draco that she cherished. "Out of the blue, he takes time off work, takes time off work for me, just to take me out. I mean it's absolutely fantastic, but just odd too."

Molly had to try very hard not to let the cat out of the bag. A few weeks ago, Draco had apparated to The Burrow at about nine in the evening after he had gotten off work. He was completely exhausted but unable to find another time to visit Molly and Arthur. He had sat down and told of his dedication to their only daughter, and that he'd like their permission to marry her. Ginny's parents were falling over themselves to give Draco their blessings. Molly could say – even in the desperate time of war, supreme joy could exist in people's lives.

It was then five thirty pm, still an hour and a half too early for Ginny to arrive.

"Thanks again mum, I'll come by later to tell you how it went. I've still got plenty of time, so I'm going to Colin's for a bit. Bye!"

"Have fun tonight dear!" called Molly to her now grown-up daughter rushing out the front door of the family home to apparate with a wave.

▪Ж▪

"You look fantastic!" exclaimed Colin Creevey, Ginny's other best friend. Colin took a different pathway in the wartime. He signed his name up for the multitude of Healer courses that were being offered in the onset of war and was now a fully qualified medic.

"Can I take a photo?" he quickly slotted in with a grin. He did not however, lose his passion for photography.

Ginny and Colin chatted and laughed while he snapped up a few photos, finding it easy to talk about things other than the on-going conflict around them. Sitting down in Colin's small living quarters in St Mungo's, the two old friends were thoroughly absorbed in discussion about Colin's new developing relationship with Miranda the injured soldier-Auror which was strictly forbidden.

"I just hope that no one ever catches us talking… unnecessarily, but Merlin, Ginny, you should see her! She's heavily bandaged, healing from a nasty piece of Dark Magic and yet so friendly and, and… attractive. I can't help it. I want to be with her."

"Oh but patients are temporary Colin. As soon as she gets out, you two can start something," replied Ginny soothingly, waggling her eyebrows.

Both were in mid-laugh when Ginny felt something warm up in her bra. It was her soldier's dogtags that she was never meant to take off… but did. Ginny knew she shouldn't have removed it to simply let her dress have the full impact it could create – but she couldn't resist. She wanted to be beautiful for Draco that night.

The dogtags were embedded with multiple layers of magic that afforded the soldier-Auror increased skills, stronger spell casts and identification to The Collective member's only. It also acted as a piece of one-way communication for the Generals and Commanders to contact their men and women. Ginny compensated by placing hers in her bra and now had to reach in to take it out.

"Sorry Colin," muttered Ginny, not embarrassed at all but slightly annoyed that the conversation was interrupted.

"Oh that's fine," replied Colin.

_Soldier-Auror G. Weasley, report to London Military HQ immediately._

Ginny had no choice but to leave. "Sorry Colin, I'll talk to you later okay. Good luck with Miranda!"

"Aw thanks, I'll see you around Gin," replied the tall mousey haired man with a grin. A quick hug later and Ginny was apparating away to the military base.

When Ginny arrived, she stuck out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of soldier-Aurors all in uniform, looking sweaty and grimy.

"Lovely," announced Luna, when Ginny arrived, blushing a little at her appearance.

"Thanks," replied Ginny with a grin. The meeting soon commenced.

"I suppose this is it," breathed Luna with her eyes wide. "Active duty."

Ginny trembled in her heels. "Yeah… wow."

"Try to still have fun on your date tonight Ginny. I'll owl you," said Luna absently, leaning to kiss Ginny on the cheek.

"Bye Lunes," whispered Ginny response, just as absently as her friend.

Ginny apparated back to her apartment, number 18 of Glasshouse Apartments on Blossom Terrace just a little before seven. She debated whether she should just blurt out to Draco her contingent's selection for active duty in war-torn Europe or whether she should wait the whole night.

Suddenly, she felt a warm pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind.

"Wench, you look beautiful," whispered Draco huskily into Ginny's ear. She shivered in response involuntarily.

_I'll tell him later then. _

Ginny turned around in Draco's arms and stepped back to look at him. Dressed in an expensive looking shirt and casual black pants with his blonde hair flopping messily into his eyes – Ginny felt like she had died and gone to heaven just from the sight of him.

Draco smirked wickedly and took Ginny's hand, and she promptly began to walk away from the flat.

"Where are you going little Weasley," asked Draco. "You're all mine tonight over here." He tilted his head back towards the apartment.

Ginny, who had momentarily forgot about her important news, furrowed her brows in confusion again. "Okay…"

Draco put his hand on the small of Ginny's back and gently led her inside. At the opening of the door, Ginny had to suddenly lean on Draco for support as she gasped.

Draco had charmed the entire interior of the tiny flat to resemble the island they had first ever connected on. At the entrance way, gentle seawater sloshed upon a wooden walkway that led the island's beach. It was just after sunset, and the entire walkway was lined with lights. The replica was perfect.

Draco firmly held onto Ginny's hand and led her to the "beach" over the salty water.

_How much MAGIC did Draco harness? _Thought Ginny wildly.

"This, this… I…"

"Yes, it's a brilliant work of magic on my part," drawled Draco.

Completely distracted, Ginny agreed with his ego-inflation.

The wooden walkway joined to a large wooden platform where a table for two was set to perfection with dinner already awaiting on it. The perfection of the setting practically screamed Draco, and Ginny found herself almost choking on the swelling emotion inside of her.

"This, you, beautiful, oh my," stuttered Ginny.

Draco politely held Ginny's chair out and tucked her back in as she sat.

Ginny practically exploded with the joy of wining and dining – not just sleeping and working with Draco.

"It's your favourite," Draco gestured towards the food on the table. The extreme happiness radiating of Ginny was most palpable, and Draco felt himself swell with pride and love.

"You, cooked, all, food? My favourite? That takes an awfully long time?" beamed Ginny.

Draco merely smirked and reached for Ginny's hands from across the table.

▪Ж▪

Ginny decided that she definitely was not a mortal being anymore. She was too insanely happy in this magical world of warm wind, water and sand. She buried her face into Draco's hard, masculine-scented chest and sighed with utter contentment for must have been the hundredth time.

Draco and Ginny shared their first, proper conversation together for the first time in what felt like a long time. They took their time and talked about everything. A great deal of it was spent talking about the early days of their relationship, visiting past memories and discussing future ones they were both eager to create. Ginny felt like she was getting a massive hit from a hard drug she had been kept away from. She reasoned, to feel so _high _was just not natural, couldn't possibly be natural. Draco felt exactly the same. They both knew each other felt exactly the same and the warmth and contentment that existed because of that was the most precious belonging of theirs.

After dinner, Draco charmed away the table, chairs and dishes and was left with a gorgeous dance floor. Bamboo flares lit up each corner of the wooden platform and a full moon bathed the couple in a magical light. With a flick of his wand, slow, steady and heady music infused the air around them. The two were absolutely content to hold each other and to sway continuously to the music for what felt like forever. Ginny could now say, she had truly experienced romance.

_Ecstasy_ would be the word Ginny and Draco would use to describe their time together in the future. For this moment – both couldn't help but enjoy it.

Ginny's body was molded to Draco's and she didn't ever feel like letting go. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Draco began inching down Ginny's body. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, chin, chest… Ginny was completely lost in the sensations and it took her a moment to realise that Draco was in front of her anymore. Looking around in alarm, she soon realised that Draco was actually on his knees in front of her, looking earnestly up into her eyes.

Ginny's heart stopped.

"I never thought I was a lucky man Ginny," began Draco huskily as Ginny's heart kicked back into action – so fast it was almost painful.

"I thought I didn't need it. My life before you was as good as it was going to get. Then, you came jogging along into my life, wandless yet completely magical. On this island I realised that all the luck that one accumulates was withheld for the first twenty one years. You are the key to unlock the cache. Now I realise, I have all the luck."

Before Ginny could process the pure heaven coming from Draco's mouth – a small velvet box was open in Draco's hands and a breathtakingly simple engagement band was twinkling back up at her.

"We are pure happiness Ginny, and I love you. Will you make me happy forever Ginny, by marrying me?"

Draco's eyes _burned _into Ginny's with intensity, with promise. It was official, Ginny thought. She had transcended into a higher plane of existence.

With a voice utterly light and joyful, Ginny whispered, "yes."

▪Ж▪

That evening, as Draco and Ginny spent their evening together loving each other in every way possible, both were exquisite beings from up above, experiencing something so special that not every mortal were lucky enough to experience.

Dimly, just before Ginny's body took over all of her consciousness, she thought _tomorrow is another day, an ordinary human day. War can wait 'til then, not today. No, no, no…_

"Oh yes," Ginny moaned into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

peoples! reviews! plezploxpweeeettyplease!

**Search the Sheets**

Ginny woke the next morning to the subdued England sunlight weakly filtering through the window. The magic Draco had commanded the previous night on their usually tiny apartment was beginning to fade. Half the room was normal, with the other half still a beach – quickly fading. Ginny's naked body was caked with a thin layer of sand and her dogtags were back around her neck again. The contentedness the redhead was experiencing just looking at the quickly-fading sand disappeared at the sight of the small pieces of metal nestled between her breasts.

_Why now?! _Ginny mentally screamed. _Why now that Draco's just proposed! Damn it, damn it all to-_

"Tea?" prompted a drawling voice from somewhere above her. It was Draco holding two steaming mugs in hand – utterly naked. He was smirking, smirking because he could see his fiancé trying very hard to keep her eyes on his face…

"Thank you," Ginny replied with warmth. For that moment, she had forgot all about her active service all over again. Draco, absolutely naked was so, so, …compelling. He joined her on the hard wooden floor, where the sand had already retreated and the 'ocean' was quickly evaporating away into nothingness.

Ginny was torn. As she sipped her tea, she badly wanted to bask unfettered in the steady kisses Draco was peppering her cheeks and shoulders with between drinking, but she also had to work out how to break the news to her new fiancé without him blowing up in worry and distress. She felt the desire to simply _luxuriate_ begin to overwhelm her desire to inform Draco and so she quickly pulled away from his warm lips.

"Draco," began Ginny but Draco shuffled closer to her, unrelenting in his affections.

"No, Draco," tried Ginny again, breathlessly this time. Draco's hunting lips suddenly found what he was diligently looking for - that little spot on Ginny's neck that would never fail in making her dizzy with excitement.

"Ohh!" Ginny moaned uncontrollably. She had to act now before Draco distracted her even further. In the same breath of her second moan, Ginny said "Oh god, Draco – I've been called into active duty!"

The kissing suddenly ceased and a deadly silence suddenly filled the now tiny-again apartment. It was only broken a moment later by the shattering of Draco's mug as it fell from his nerveless fingers. Ginny's eyes – which had been lightly shut during Draco's ministrations – snapped open to witness his angular face arranged in a rare expression of shock and horror.

Hot tea sped over the ground to warm Ginny and Draco's bodies but neither of them noticed.

"Oh," Draco said aloud in a strangled voice. "Oh sweet Merlin no…"

Ginny impatiently swept away the shards of broken mug to clutch at Draco's bare form as he continued to mouth agonies to himself.

"Draco, you knew this was going to happen one day… The war has pivotal battles everywhere now, and I've been in the reserves for so long…" Ginny said in what she hoped was a placating tone but it did not seem to take any effect on the white-blonde haired man. In fact, Draco appeared to become even more distressed and he suddenly clutched Ginny's pale, now un-freckled shoulders.

"You're going to Europe aren't you? Aren't you!" demanded Draco.

"Yes…" breathed Ginny, beginning to be afraid for him. It suddenly dawned on her.

"I've sent you to fucking Europe, where our sure-fucking-fire formation should have worked, but didn't. The Collective forces are getting fucked shitless by the Dark Forces out there and I've sent you as DEFENSIVE BACK UP?!" roared Draco. He unconsciously clutched Ginny harder, uncomprehending of her gasp of pain and shock.

_Holy sweet mother of flying fuck no this should not have happened! _Roared the voice in Draco's head. Another one joined the ranting cacophony.

_Ah but you left her safety to chance – didn't you. She's the only thing you ever truly needed to be happy but nooo, you didn't take enough affirmative action._

"Draco!" Ginny pleaded but he didn't hear her.

_Oh Merlin, Merlin, Merlin, Merlin _raced the initial panicky voice.

"Draco!" Ginny tried again.

_Yes, Draco. You stupid fool. She is going to DIE out there! You saw the reports, you saw the contingent nearly fuckin' decimated. Now you've sent her to PICK UP THE PIECES IN THE MIDST OF A DEATH EATER ONSLOUGHT? WITH EASTERN EUROPE THE FUCKING POWER BASE FOR VOLDEMORT? _

Ginny couldn't bear it anymore. She tried for the third time, "Draco! Please, you're hurting me – let go."

_Hurting me… _Draco thought. Suddenly he realised, and he released Ginny immediately, horrified at himself for another reason.

"Ginny," Draco said in a tortured voice. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Ginny crawled back over to her fiancé and into his lap. "Who says I'll be hurt in the war?"

There was no reply for a long moment, and Ginny turned her head up to see Draco unmoving, with his previously glorious smirk replaced by a taut expression with his lips turned down at the corners. She couldn't find the words to phrase how she felt, and instead buried her head into Draco's chest, listening to his racing heartbeat.

After a few minutes of absolute stillness, Draco finally spoke in a dead voice. "I'm not letting you go."

"What? C'mon Draco – not this again. We've been through it…"

"You're scared."

Ginny opened her mouth to retort but could find no rebuttal.

"You're scared Ginny, I know it. Stay with me – "

"What? Stay with you? At the fucking Strategical office? Want me to wait out the door all day and night like a good puppy? Because there's not much of you to stay with." Ginny felt her sadness being transmuted into unjustified anger as she spat. Draco's body stiffened even more around Ginny and she felt an immediate jolt of guilt. She felt him drag in a heavy breath but no words were formed with it.

"Oh no, oh no Draco I'm sorry. I don't mean that – you do what you have to do. You have to play your role," amended Ginny quickly, resting her forehead on Draco's, feeling suddenly scared – scared that she had angered the dragon within Draco. To Ginny's great relief, he only tightened his arms around her again.

"You're scared," Draco pointed out bluntly again.

"Yes. I am," admitted Ginny, rubbing her nose softly against Draco's sharp one, hoping to exude some comfort.

In the same dead voice, "but you're still going."

"Yes," Ginny breathed. "Because I win, I get ideology _and _you."

Draco's grey eyes opened and he looked steadily into Ginny's as he whispered emotionlessly, "I never thought I'd see the day a _Weasley_ own more than a Malfoy. If I lose you, I'll have nothing."

In response, Ginny pressed a brief but fierce kiss upon Draco's lips, as if to emphasize how _much _she belonged to him, and he to her. "I'm-" Ginny began but Draco cut her off.

"Don't bullshit me Ginevra – and tell me you're not going to die," Draco said cruelly, turning his face away from Ginny.

Hurt, Ginny moved away from Draco and muttered "I was going to say 'I'm going to become a Malfoy.'". She felt utterly stripped and bare, not only physically. Draco _had _made the greater personal sacrifice in not only leaving Voldemort and his principles – but Draco's family ties and tradition. Ginny had no time for modesty, she knew she was worth it all in Draco's eyes, but that meant that if she was killed in battle, Draco would be utterly alone. It was not to say that the Weasley's – or Molly at least – wouldn't have supported him, but their support would not have been the same as his own parents'. Draco was only familiar to Ginny's family for two years - the second of which where he practically never visited due to a lack of opportunity, and the supreme awkwardness that surrounded Draco's newfound relationship with the youngest Weasley in the first year prevented any family bonding.

It was selfish on Ginny's part… she could understand that.

Draco slowly turned his head back to face Ginny again, and she was struck by the roiling emotion in his eyes. It was so hauntingly familiar, she had only just seen it the previous night while he was on one knee, proposing to her. _Passion _Ginny realised. It was passion.

Draco started to move. Ginny was forced to slip off Draco's lap and tumble onto the ground beneath him. "Draco!" Ginny squeaked. He didn't reply, but instead loomed over her, pushing her flat on her back, never breaking eye contact. Ginny was excited, and slightly afraid - a powerful combination that left her breathless and shaky.

He was positioned between her bare legs, just nudging her entrance when he muttered threateningly, "No Malfoy has _ever _been jilted at the altar. Understood?" Ginny felt her chin pull downwards in a nod – what she understood was that this was the most Draco would allow her to lie to him in the war.

Draco's hips surged forwards and he grunted in satisfaction at the low hiss Ginny made. Later, lying spent and breathless on the wooden floor – Draco pulled Ginny in for a long kiss. It was a kiss that Ginny understood as Draco's unhappy acceptance of her news.

▪Ж▪

Molly Weasley slowly sank herself down into her worn rickety kitchen chair as she put her hand to her forehead in distress and stared at her youngest son's solemn face. "Oh no…" said Molly crestfallenly. "My youngest son off to war." The lines of love, age and weariness on her face were set into sad resignation as Ron hugged his mother in response.

Their embrace was suddenly disturbed by the two loud cracks of Ginny and Draco apparating directly into The Burrow's kitchen. Draco forgot his anger and hurt at Ginny's leaving for a moment when he observed Ron's restrained embrace whilst Ginny herself exclaimed "what's going on? Mum what's wrong?"

"Oh Ginny, Ron's been called into active service," Molly replied, swiping a tear away quickly. "They all go so soon! Hello Draco, I'll get some tea and shortbread."

"Oh," replied Ginny shortly. She felt guilty, now that her mother had to bear the loss of another two children after her older brothers had all thankfully, returned home and were relieved temporarily of duty. Draco subtly nudged Ginny and she quickly turned to her fiancé with a grimace.

Ron narrowed his eyes slightly at Draco and nodded briefly before turning to his sister and kissing her on the cheek. "Hey Gin, I'm going to Europe. There's another contingent accompanying us, not sure which one though," he said in a level voice as he himself plopped down in the chair his mother had recently vacated and immediately started toying with his dogtags.

"So Draco, aren't you usually at work? You work too hard dear!" said Molly conversationally as she tapped her wand against an old copper kettle and bustled around collecting mugs and plates.

"Umm…" replied Ginny for Draco, looking at him nervously again.

"What…" asked Molly with a confused frown.

"I am spending the next two days with Ginny alone and not going to work," began Draco steadily.

Ron lifted his head in interest at the conversation going on around him as Ginny twisted her fingers and Draco looked emotionless as ever.

"Ginny's going to-"

"Get married to Draco!" interjected Ginny with a sudden and honest grin, throwing out her left hand proudly. Draco was momentarily taken aback at Ginny's statement - he had completely forgotten in the past morning that he _was _indeed engaged to Ginny!

_How the hell did I forget that? _Thought Draco rapidly as the kitchen suddenly burst forth with Molly's excited yelling and Ron's exclamation of "what the _fuck?" _

The excitement from Molly and Ginny was momentarily blinding and contagious and Draco found that the passive expression he usually reserved for Ginny's closest brother dissipated into a ecstatic grin.

"You said yes Ginny! I knew you would!" cried Molly happily, ignoring the whistling kettle in the background to wrap Ginny in a big hug. Ginny was jumping up and down slightly in excitement and Molly winked at Draco from over her daughter's shoulder. Draco's grey eyes only twinkled joyfully back at his mother in-law to-be as Ron quickly strode over to Ginny, grabbed her left hand and stared with a dumbstruck expression at the small but glittering diamonds on his sister's pale finger. Ron's mouth moved, but no sounds were coming out and he slowly raised his head to look at Draco in amazement.

"You… what… Ginny?" he managed to choke out while Ginny was still hugging their mother tightly.

Draco smirked evilly at Ron and replied, "I proposed. Pro-posed," he drew out slowly.

"Yes, yes I know you proposed," snapped Ron irritably. "I just, you're going to be… I don't want…"

"You think I want you as a brother either?" snapped Draco back.

"Hey!" Ginny and Molly yelled together simultaneously, sounding frighteningly similar. Ginny disentangled herself from her mother's arms and punched Draco on the shoulder whilst Molly backhanded her son on the back of his red head.

"Ow!" both yelled in unison, continuing to glare at each other.

The kettle in the background was whistling unbearably but Molly still ignored it to reach for Draco to crush him in a matronly hug as well.

"Oh, thank you Mrs Weasley," choked Draco over the top of the woman's head to grimace at a giggling Ginny.

Molly soon returned to preparing morning tea with an incredibly happy glow inside of her, a glow that had to be nestled between the pains of war. Ron continued his fidgeting with his dogtags but now he also half glared, half stared at his sister and Draco who were seated incredibly - and to Ron – disgustingly close together. They kept leaning in to rub noses, hold hands… look into each other's eyes… "Oh that's it! I feel sick!" Ron ejected suddenly, moving to get up to brood in his room and wait for Harry and Hermione who were coming over that evening for dinner.

"You're going nowhere! You're going to war – _Europe _no less and I don't know when I'll see you again!" scolded Molly with worry, sternly pushing her lanky son back into the kitchen chair.

Ginny and Draco ceased being in their own little world at the words "war" and "Europe." Ginny's heart plummeted as Draco's briefly happy expression faded away into his little frown of simmering worry and anger. Molly noted the little change with interest but quickly dismissed it. She set the tea and biscuits down and glared at Ron to eat some before turning her attention back to the engaged pair.

"Drink! Drink Draco you're looking a bit peaky," encouraged Molly before sipping on hers, preparing to have a long discussion about wedding plans and dresses with her first and only son in-law to be. "So you sneaky two! When are you thinking about having all of this? There's a lot to think about… we should do it soon. I want the whole family here, and I don't foresee boys like Bill and Charlie being kept on leave too long…"

Ginny felt Draco's body stiffen next to hers and his hand suddenly clenched around hers under the table. She looked at him nervously again whilst Molly's suspicions suddenly heightened again.

"What is it you two?" she asked sternly. "Draco just _proposed _to you last night! Why aren't you falling over with happiness?"

Her mother had just reminded Ginny how painful it was experience joy and disappointment simultaneously and she choked on her tea and the sudden lurching of emotion she felt.

Draco decided that he had had enough beating around the bush. Rubbing Ginny's back soothingly as her coughs subsided, he said flatly, "Ginny's going to Europe with Ronald. She belongs in the other contingent."

"No!" gasped Molly whilst Ron said at the same time, "You?"

"Yes," replied Ginny as flatly as she could, trying to sound composed like Ron and Draco did. "If Ron's going too… well we're both going to be leaving on the morning day after tomorrow." Ginny reached over the table with her other hand for Ron's. She tried to foster a cheerful smile and murmured, "Ron. Looks like you'll be stuck with your little sister, _again_."

"This is the reason why I'm not going to work," muttered Draco darkly at the three sad Weasley's in the kitchen.

There was a long moment of Molly staring in horror at her daughter, Ron's clutching of his sister's hand and Draco's cold expression before Molly slammed her mug hard on the kitchen table – shattering it and spilling tea in all directions. _Second time this morning _thought Draco dully.

"No!" yelled Molly, unable to stop her tears. "They can't keep taking my children!"

"Mum, but you've always known I was going to fight. I'm not a soldier-Auror for noth-"

"They take my sons, put them all through some sick hell and now they have the gall to take my daughter too?" Molly roared as Ginny and Ron quickly came to her side and hugged her tightly. "I've seen what it's done to my boys, the haunted expressions in their eyes…"

Draco felt the moment between the Weasleys too intimate for him and he left for Ginny's old bedroom after waving his wand and silently restoring order to the mess on the kitchen table.

As Draco ascended the stairs, he would have admitted the mixture of soprano and baritone in Ginny and Ron's consoling beautiful – if not for the ugly cause.

▪Ж▪

"Dinner." _Sniff. _"Tonight. The whole family."

"Okay mum, look, just go have a bit of a kip right now and we'll help you sort out dinner tonight later okay," breathed Ron, his heart heavy.

After Molly had moved off to her bedroom slowly, Ron and Ginny looked at each other sadly.

"Merlin this shit is fucked," breathed Ginny, cradling her head in her hands. "I wonder why I don't just stay. I wonder why we all don't just stay…"

Ron mirrored his sister's actions and groaned aloud, "you know why Ginny. Our whole lives… school lives and everything. Affected by thefucked Lord."

"Yeah," agreed Ginny silently. _I get Draco _and _ideology. _"Say, you and Hermione have had an awful long engagement! The hard part's over! You've already proposed!" joked Ginny.

Ron smiled tightly in response and replied, "we're waiting for the war to end. I, I want her to be my wife _now_ – but I can't start a family and possibly… die… and… I don't want her to be a widower. We both don't want to have our wedding tailed by the black dog of Voldemort. For now, she knows I love her."

Ginny nodded slowly at her youngest elder brother. "Well, you'd better stay alive! You know how scary she can become when you've disappointed in some way! Like… Yule Ball in your fourth year! Or that night she sent you a note saying she was interested in some… activities… and you didn't receive it and got stone drunk with Harry and fell asleep right next to her!" Ginny waggled her eyebrows at Ron as he reached over to mess up her hair and growl – the tips of his ears turning red.

"So you and Malfoy huh," grunted Ron after a moment of silence between the siblings. Ginny looked him in his clear blue eyes and nodded resolutely.

"You can't deny he loves me," said Ginny defensively. Ron simply put up his hands and shook his head quickly.

"No Ginny. I don't deny it. That man would follow you to the moon," Ron conceded through grumbles.

"I'm scared, y'know," breathed Ginny.

"Hey, hey. I'll be there, don't worry your brother's here for ya," said Ron with a reassuring smile, but Ginny only shook her head rapidly.

"No I'm scared for Draco. What if I _die _Ron? Will you be nice to him even though you hate him? I am the light of his life… I guess, the beacon of promise for him. I don't want him to be alone, yet, at the same time I have to fight," Ginny continued tortuously.

Ron paused and sighed, his hands reaching for his dogtags instinctively. "I don't like him. Hermione's nicer to him and I suppose… Harry is just tolerant of him for all the work he has done for us, on behalf of you. Mum loves him though, and so does dad. Bill and the git share wit and Charlie simply loves darling _Draconis. _I don't know, somehow he and Percy manage to have some form of interesting conversation and the twins love ruffling his feathers. We'll never let him go." _God damn it _Ron thought. "Especially when everyone finds out he went and bloody proposed to you. I can't even try and convince mum that I already have too many brothers!" Ginny smiled wanly at Ron's lighthearted dig before gazing at him sadly again. "But seriously Gin. We're in a war. It strips away the bullshit that coats everyday life and what is revealed is what we really value. I'm pretty fuckin' blinded by what shines for you under his immense amount of bull. He's working for us, for you. It's good enough for me."

Ginny felt an immensely happy smile break through and words escaped her joy at Ron's support of her engagement.

"Oh please tell me you'll say something like that at our wedding!" squealed Ginny eventually as she threw her arms around her brother.

"No!" roared Ron as Ginny grinned and skipped away from the kitchen.

Through a floo call, Ginny quickly told Colin about her engagement to Draco and to The War and invited him to dinner before lightly ascending The Burrow's staircase to her old room, where she assumed Draco would be brooding.

Ginny knocked softly on her old door and when it was met by silence, she gently open it to reveal a pair of moody grey eyes framed by lashings of platinum gazing directly at her from her childhood bed.

Ginny's breath caught – as it always did.

The door was shut with a snap and Ginny wasted no time crossing the small distance to her bed to meld her body with her fiancé's.

"How's your mother?" Draco asked softly, absently running his hands up and down Ginny's back and through her silky red hair.

"Um, not good Draco – especially not with Ron leaving at the same time as well," sighed Ginny in response. Draco heard the almost-crack in Ginny's voice and tilted his head to kiss her in an attempt to console her.

"I think, at least, she knows Ron will be with me a lot of the time."

"Good," Draco growled. Ginny's lips curved in a small smile against Draco's cheek as she wondered fleetingly _is this Draco beginning to like Ron more? _"But not good enough. He let you join this god-forsaken war," Draco continued bitterly.

"Hey, hey!" Ginny snapped defensively. "There was nothing they could to do to stop me! It was _my _decision!"

"Oh Ginny, how I _know…_"

"You respect what I have decided to do," breathed Ginny sternly, whilst feeling a rending in her heart at the knowledge of parting with Draco.

"I don't know if _respect _is the word I'd quite use Ginevra. I accept it though - ironically enough it is what brought us together." Draco shared a brief but sweet kiss with Ginny before continuing, "but I don't think, I know you won't know what will hit you when you get out on that battlefield."

Ginny sat up straighter and leaned against her small bed's headboard as she listened intently to Draco. _My beautiful Draco _thought Ginny as she gazed at Draco's angular face which was arranged in an expression of utmost worry, concern and unconcealed pain. Ginny sensed Draco was going to speak about his past experiences as a Death Eater as he sat up straight too and unconsciously gripped his left forearm. It was incredibly rare for Ginny to coax any information out of Draco about his time as Voldemort's main man.

"I suppose, Weasley, I could talk myself blue in the face but you'll never truly understand what I'm saying until… if… you come back from Europe," began Draco, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration and pain. "War changes people."

"I know that Draco," breathed Ginny at the earnest concern radiating off the aloof handsome blonde man.

"No Ginny, I don't think you do. You actually can't, until you go and come back. I'm …afraid."

"Yes?" urged Ginny.

"I am afraid what Europe will do to you Ginny. I'm afraid of what you'll see and what you'll be forced to do when your survival instincts kick in." Draco clutched Ginny's hands in his and applied pressure, reveling in her reassuring physical presence. He suddenly choked on emotion as he said, "…Ginny. You are, so, beautiful. So incredibly pure and innocent. At the tender age of twenty two… I don't quite think you… I… The war will break you Ginny. I'm still me, but my life has been lived up 'til I met you with a bloody backdrop of Voldemort, violence, murder and death. It's a part of me – I was born into it. A killer's life isn't yours Ginny. I don't want you-"

Draco was interrupted by Ginny's soft sob. "Draco…"

"I don't want you to bear that pain, Ginny. You are strong, but your strength lies not in warfare. I'm afraid for your sanity… I sincerely hope but doubt, that you will be able to retain all of what made you, _you. _It affects you… war. I don't want to let you go."

Ginny was completely silent for a few long moments, holding onto Draco's hands and staring past Draco face into her mind's eye. She felt like she was on an out of control emotional rollercoaster that had accelerated from zero to at the very least a _thousand _kilometersin the space of about two days. From Draco's heartfelt and breathtaking proposal, to his severe anger at her leaving and now his past's revelations, Ginny was experiencing such intense and pure portrayals of Draco's emotions when for the past year or so, they spent most of their time muted and busy.

"You, as a Death Eater… you…" Ginny couldn't bring herself to verbally acknowledge the acts of Draco when he was one.

_How will she think of me now? _Wondered Draco tortuously as he gazed anxiously at Ginny's pale face with wide wondering brown eyes. "I have killed hundreds and tortured even more."

Ginny's eyes closed with pain. This was the reason why Draco kept his past in the past.

"You, you understand why I never explicitly told you…" said Draco softly and evenly.

"Yes," whispered Ginny. _I always knew, I always knew he killed and tortured… all in the name of Voldemort. Yes I always knew and I always loved him, always, always. _

"I…" trailed off Draco.

"No Draco, you don't have to apologize, I know you don't regret doing it because it didn't affect me then. I didn't love you then, but I love you now. You are who you are now, my fiancé. Thank you for telling me this…

I, still owe it to my world to, to fight. I don't want to leave you, don't want to change, I don't know anything yet…" whispered Ginny, feeling the onset of a powerful migraine at the influx of emotional energy she hadn't had adequate time to adjust to yet.

Ginny slid back down her small narrow bed and wrapped Draco's arms around her, snuggling her back into Draco's broad chest. She let a sense of security and protection wash over her with his strong presence behind her.

"I'm sorry you feel scared now. I can't let you go in ignorance Ginny. I love you too much," breathed Draco softly into Ginny's ears.

For the moment however, Ginny felt her emotional and intellectual stress fade away with every one of Draco's kisses on her neck and cheek as the powerful land of the sleep enticed her away from the problems of consciousness.

▪Ж▪

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Draco indignantly as Ginny luxuriated in her fiancé's arms that had snaked around her waist.

"Mmm what Drakie?" Ginny purred as she gazed into the beautiful sight The Burrow's bathroom mirror beheld.

"Creevey is stationed as Healer with you in Europe! Your brother has you, Loonie's with you and now that twerp will be there with you!" growled Draco with his lips pressed against Ginny's pale neck. Draco's frustration only escalated when Ginny giggled in response.

"Aww Drakie, are you jealous?" she teased, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Very, very much," replied Draco in utter seriousness, eliciting a soft sigh from Ginny. She couldn't resist it anymore, the urge to feel morose and sad. It was her final night in England, her final night with her family and her husband-to-be. Ginny decided it was best to hurry and do what she and Draco had commandeered the bathroom for.

Cut off all of Ginny's long wavy hair.

The Military had a rule required that all hair be cut and a maximum length of one centimeter – and it was to be strictly adhered to. Ginny's vain side recoiled at the idea of losing her deep red locks, but did admit her hair would be her biggest liability.

"I've never had short hair," admitted Ginny nervously, toying with the strands.

"You'll feel so less weighed down when it's gone," replied Draco absent-mindedly as he reached for a sharp pair of scissors and something else in the pocket of his jeans. He drew out a length of green ribbon and tied it around a section of red hair.

"What are you-" began Ginny but Draco cut her off.

"I'm keeping a part of you… I know you won't mind," shushed Draco before snipping the lock near the top of Ginny's head. He placed the long strands of red hair held together by the ribbon next to the bathroom tap where they both gazed at the… prettiness of it.

"Ready for the rest Ginny?" Draco asked softly before Ginny nodded.

For the next half an hour, Ginny watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as Draco deftly cut off all of her hair. The bathroom tiles were obscured by a sea of vibrant red as Draco worked the scissors and Ginny did indeed feel a large weight being shucked.

When Draco was done, he put the scissors aside and softly kissed her cheek.

Her cheeks were the first things Ginny noticed about herself now, they were so pronounced, so pale and visible where her hair once covered them. The brown of her eyes seemed to demand more attention as well and Ginny placed more attention on the curve of her eyebrows.

Ginny's secret worst fear was not completely confirmed. The crew cut was definitely masculine but the soft angles of her face belied a male conception of her haircut. Tentatively, Ginny reached up her neck and felt the bristly surface of her scalp and shuddered a little bit.

"Oh wow, that's so creepy!" breathed Ginny in shock.

Draco's fingers skimmed over her head too and he chuckled in response, saying, "yes it certainly is different to this red mass down here." They both looked down at the liberal amounts of hair that coated the bathroom floor.

"Merlin! I never knew I had _that _much hair!" laughed Ginny, with a twinge of regret in her heart. She wanted all of it back on her head so Draco could run his fingers through it sensuously.

"Do you like your new do?" ask Draco as he waved away the many strands on the floor.

Ginny tilted her head this way and that in consideration before announcing, "its okay. I don't feel as ugly as I thought I would… but I wouldn't go this short if I had a choice."

"Please Ginevra, don't insult yourself," growled Draco – placing a kiss on the top of Ginny's head. "You are beautiful. The hair was a wonderful aspect of you, but your face…" he continued huskily. Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny again from behind and pressed his cheek against her, reveling in the warmth from Ginny's shy blush. "Look in the mirror Ginny," Draco commanded and Ginny complied.

"I see a pair of warm brown eyes, wide and beautiful. Do you?" murmured Draco. Ginny nodded in response, trying to discern whether they were really wide or not.

"This adorably cute nose," continued Draco huskily, reaching up to tap it. Ginny couldn't help but allow a grin form at the attention Draco was paying her.

"Ahh, this smile - do you know how fast I fall when I see this? Hmm Ginny?" prompted Draco.

"Oh Draco… not nearly as fast as all your arse-kissing is making me fall for you right now!" replied Ginny, if possible, grinning wider. She felt the warmth of a good compliment in the centre of her as she turned around in Draco's arm to face him and kiss his smirking lips.

"You have no idea how perfect you look to me Ginny. The hair changes nothing," said Draco with a dark edge to his tone. He flicked his wand towards the bathroom door and locked it as Ginny resumed her fierce kissing and began to fumble with Draco's belt buckle.

▪Ж▪

Very soon after, Hermione and Ron were walking hand in hand past the bathroom, both carrying mugs of hot chocolate and heading towards Ron's bedroom to spend their last evening together alone.

"Sounds like someone's having a night shower," commented Hermione to the sound of falling water from the bathroom.

"Yeah, Ginny and Ferretface are in there cutting her…" Ron suddenly stood stock still, an angry red flush filling his face. "Hermione, Ginny may be an adult, she may be getting married to the git, but I will always find the thought of those two doing that horri-!"

Hermione wore a large grin of satisfaction as she stopped Ron's rant immediately by slipping her hand deftly down Ron's old flannelette pajama bottoms.

"So you were saying about Malfoy and your sister?" prompted Hermione sweetly.

Ron couldn't quite comprehend what his fiancé was saying as all of his attention was diverted to the devious things Hermione was doing with her fingers.

"I said, bedroom, now!" growled Ron with a gleam in his eye and Hermione responded with a knowing smile.

Mission accomplished.

▪Ж▪

"Be _safe _Ginny and look after your sister Ron," commanded Arthur to his two youngest children somberly, trying to convey his worry and sadness at their departure through his words.

"Aw dad, it's okay. It's Ron who needs looking after, he's safe with me," joked Ginny, trying to alleviate the depressiveness of departing. She could feel the burn of tears beginning and she tried to blink them away.

"Don't worry dad, nothing will happen to Ginny," replied Ron earnestly to his father before leaning in for a tight hug. Ginny did the same before she was embraced by all of her family, including Hermione and Harry.

"Be so _careful _Ginny!" said Molly tearfully to her youngest child. "I want you back home in one piece okay. Just like your brothers. I want you home soon."

"Okay mum, I will. I'll miss you," breathed Ginny to her mother during the fierce hug they shared.

Ginny took a step back in the crowded Ministry mass portkey room to look at her whole family properly for the last time for what would probably be a long while. She drank in the redness of her family's hair and the warmth of their expressions. She would not forget them, she would remember them in her coldest moments.

She spied Draco striding up to her from the other side of the room and threw herself into his embrace when he neared her.

"You still have a choice Ginny. Don't go. This is your last chance, you can't leave when you get there," hissed Draco with worry as he cradled his fiancé to his chest.

"I've made up my mind Draco," whispered Ginny resolutely before burying her face in his chest, reveling in his sheer physicality and the solidness of it. She would miss it.

Draco only responded by holding onto Ginny tighter. He could not believe that this small wisp of a woman could withstand the terror and pain of magical warfare with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. His heart beat painfully fast at his speculation which in turn urged him to never let Ginny go. Draco wasn't sure he could stand the wretched pain that would envelope him if Ginny was lost to war – he was having a difficult enough time coping with the knowledge of Ginny's departure alone.

"I have to go soon, Draco," sniffed Ginny, letting the tears fall in the blonde man's presence.

"I love you Ginny," said Draco without preamble, kissing Ginny squarely on the lips for a long moment and savouring every moment of sweetness.

Choking on her raging emotions and tears, Ginny managed to stutter out, "I love you too Draco. Always. I'll always think about you, and I'll write to you. No one will touch me but you. I will come back to you and marry you, Draco Malfoy."

Draco felt a bolt of fear reach his heart at Ginny's last promise. '_I will come back to you and marry you.' Will you Ginny? Or will you die? Will you die at the hands of an expert Death Eater like many have died at mine? _

"Okay Ginny, I'll wait for you. I love you so much," Draco replied, feeling the burn of tears sting his normally dry eyes. Draco knew it was foolish to accept Ginny's uncertain promise of return, but he needed to in an attempt to soothe the raging fear inside his heart. He couldn't bear to let Ginny go though, even after the first warning bell rang throughout the portkey room signaling that the two contingents would be departing in five minutes.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Ginny spoke in a mantra, completely lost in Draco's tight embrace. She was filled with the scent of him, the warmth of him, the strength of him and the love he held for her. At that moment it was impossible for Ginny to comprehend disentangling herself from Draco's embrace and he didn't mind. He was perfectly content to ignore the portkey that would soon tear her away from him and land her in Europe. Draco, despite knowing Ginny had to leave very soon, had no intentions of ever letting her go.

Draco didn't hear Bill and Charlie's words of release but he was suddenly aware that his small redheaded firecracker wasn't safe in his arms anymore. He wasn't conscious of Bill and Charlie holding his arms back roughly in a bid to stop him from thrashing around violently as he tried to reach Ginny. She had joined Luna and they waited patiently at a portkey with three other soldier-Aurors. Draco struggled against Ginny's bigger and older brothers as he tried to reach her and stop her from touching the magical traveling device but suddenly he stopped when Ginny looked at him steadily from across the crowed room and kissed her engagement ring. Before Draco could even bask in the warmth of Ginny's display of love, the two contingents of soldier-Aurors suddenly disappeared – leaving the room empty save the family and friends of those just departed.

▪Ж▪

"Hey mate, Malfoy – you alright?" prompted Bill at the The Burrow's kitchen table later that day as Molly prepared lunch for her family, minus two.

Draco was suddenly pulled out of his long reverie at the eldest Weasley child's voice. It was the first time anyone had addressed him directly all day. "Yeah," he replied darkly, aware that everyone in the room knew it was a total lie. Draco looked up at Bill as he cleared his throat quietly and looked pointedly at Draco's clenched and shaking fists on the kitchen table. Draco was horrified at his lack of control and quickly put his hands under the table.

Later that afternoon as Draco uselessly paced around The Burrow's large backyard, Arthur came out to young blonde man.

"Draco," greeted Arthur and Draco nodded stiffly in response. The two men stood in a strained silence for a few moments before Arthur continued, "Draco, if there is anyone worth losing control over, it is Ginny."

Draco felt his heart clench at the elder man's steady words and much to his horror again, Draco's hands began to shake in his pants' pockets and tears formed at the back of his eyelids.

"I really lost control in the portkey room, didn't I," muttered Draco soon after, fighting hard to keep his voice emotionless and even.

Draco's suspicions were confirmed as Arthur answered, "yes son, you did. Bill and Charlie had to work to stop you from keeping Ginny in your arms."

For once, Draco decided to actually _talk _about it – somewhat. "I, I didn't know what I was doing. I always knew she was going – but I always shoved it to the back of my mind." Draco said after a short while in a depressed mutter. "I always thought, 'she still has a couple of years training' and 'she belongs in a brand new contingent, there are more experienced ones available for active service.'" Arthur nodded gravely at his son-in-law-to-be's uncharacteristic display of emotion that was not directly related to his daughter.

"Hah!" barked Draco suddenly, his expression melding into a grim grin. "And I worked for the department that would send her _away. _How stupid. How bloody stupid. Just two days ago, after I bloody propose to her she tells me she has to go!" Draco paused, schooling his emotions in again. "Logically, consciously and all that rot, I knew she was going to go. Yes, it was her decision and most definitely her life – I had to let her go. Arthur, your family is Gryffindor through and through. You and your bloody morality and loyalty."

"I don't see much difference in Voldemort's cause and his followers," pointed out Arthur placidly, aware that the blonde man wasn't trying to cause a row. Draco only grimaced and cocked his eyebrow at the aging redheaded man.

"I admit. I admit. There is a bit of Ravenclaw, a bit of Hufflepuff, some Gryffindor and Slytherin in every human being. The sorting hat can only surmise what proportion of each house resides in each kid and then it decides on the majority. Ginny, Ginny is fighting because of what she _believes _in. She is _loyal _to The Collective's way of government, the 'freedoms' democracy holds and she has already been conditioned by the establishment at a young age to defend it against attack at all costs. _I _however, joined Voldemort partly because of my upbringing, but also because of my thirst for joy, and joy through power. Voldemort was a clear pathway to power and thus pleasure so I followed it. How conniving and Slytherin of me – to lack _morality."_

"But now my young daughter has eclipsed all that possible power, purity and pleasure of Voldemort's ambitious dictatorship," surmised Arthur evenly still. "Once you obtain, come across, _meet _something or someone that beautiful and appealing – who are you to let go?"

Draco smiled dryly and replied, "exactly. I had an unexpected taste of a different type of ecstasy and now I'm hooked. My, …actions today confirmed something about me, something I have been pondering about since I met Ginevra – properly. _Would _I ever voluntarily let her go? To her very possible _death _for a principle that does not have hedonistic promise? I know she loves me, loves being with me. I _know _that, she shows it every day. What in Merlin's sake am I competing with then? Ideology. _Faantastic. _This… is where the divide between Slytherin and Gryffindor becomes that wide-a chasm I can't cross. I can accept Ginny's foregrounding of ideology on some level, but I'll never be in that 'loyal' and 'brave' mindset. Now I'm in a position I hate – absolute mercy. Merlin's sake. Now I have to _hope _she survives_. _I never hope, I've never had to. If wanted it, I would get it. I'm too practical and non-sentimental to ache over people and opportunities missed. _Ginny _though! I –"

"Can't," completed Arthur with a smile.

"No," Draco finally replied with a small smile. "No I can't quite shake off the grip Ginny has on me. I've gone and done what most of the people I used to associate with would have avoided like a hungry Hungarian Horntail. I've gone and bloody fallen in _love! _Like a fool who has breathed in too much romantic tropical air!"

By now Arthur was grinning. The pain and the rapture Draco was expressing was clearly real, with not a shred of pretentiousness of maliciousness tainting the emotions. This kind of passion and blunt honest love was the type of love he had always wanted her daughter to be encased in.

Draco lost his rare smile however, as he continued, "and now, now I just have to wait. I have to pay, for caring too much. Loving her too hard. If she dies… I don't know…"

Suddenly the afternoon air around the two men thickened with a mixture of sorrow and love, so thick that Arthur was aware that even he felt like he could choke on the power of Draco's passion. The Weasley patriarch put his hand comfortingly on the platinum blonde's shoulder and did something he never thought he'd ever do in his lifetime.

Understand a Malfoy.

▪Ж▪

"Excuse me," replied Draco in an icy tone that he usually never used in the workplace.

"I'm sorry Draco," replied Wrightwood with sympathy and sadness brimming in his eyes, only serving to infuriate Draco more despite himself. "There is a significant conflict of interest here between you and Ginny. Not only is she now your fiancé, an official declaration of personal emotion, she is _in _Europe fighting and _you _are the man who dictates the how's and when's of how those two contingents are operated!"

"You don't know that," replied Draco in anger, although he was well aware of the brooding and plotting he spent last night in an attempt to steer the British soldier-Aurors out of any lethal danger in the most legal way possible.

"Draco," growled Wrightwood suddenly, "I normally never swear – it's not appropriate for my position. However, don't bullshit me _or _yourself." Draco only narrowed his eyes in response, unable to surpass rank. Wrightwood continued in a more calmer tone, "look. You have been one of the greatest assets to The Collective, you have proved this with your stringent loyalty to our beliefs" Draco cringed at the word 'loyalty'. _It was for Ginny, not the bloody Collective. _"Simply invaluable, but this is serious Malfoy. I can't let you keep working in Strategy."

Draco continued to glare ruefully at his superior before conceding, "fine."

"Now, there's a position open in the Asian branch of The Collective in assisting the Generals and head honchos over there," suggested Wrightwood.

"No thank you," replied Draco curtly.

"Oh," replied Wrightwood, looking Draco over appraisingly.

"You're not a stupid man, you knew the reasons why I worked so hard for this department."

"Yes, yes I did."

"Now, with Ginny in battle and no way for me to watch out for my fiancé, I have no need to be here."

"Understandable," replied Wrightwood. "What are you going to do?"

"Lucius is dead, isn't he?" asked Draco flatly.

"Yes."

"Then I have family matters to tie up. I am aware of the close scrutiny of my family… but it is only right to keep my kinship's documents in order."

"Alright Mr Malfoy. Is this your official resignation from The Collective? You are well aware of the confidentiality agreements… of both sides," said Wrightwood, hinting at Dumbledore's strict conditions for Draco's security after he deserted the Dark's movement.

_For Ginny. I'll lay low. Without her – there's no point in living, let alone returning Voldemort._

"Rest assured Wrightwood," replied Draco coldly and smoothly.

The elder man stared at Draco for a long moment before extending his hand. Draco shook it as Wrightwood said, "have Helena organise the correct documentation."

▪Ж▪

The next year and a half were not easy ones for Draco and Ginny as the war between The Collective and The Dark raged on in every continent.

After being made redundant in international Strategy and henceforth resigning from The Collective altogether, Draco spent a week with the Weasley's showing in his own cold way, his appreciation for their tentative support.

When Molly and Arthur learnt that Draco desired to travel around the world, to plan and to tie up his family's loose ends, they trusted him.

"Oh Draco, I hope it isn't because you feel like you need to, need to escape or something. If the loneliness ever gets too much – you're welcome to come back! You must definitely come home for Christmas and Easter," demanded Molly with love for the blonde man she used to hate.

"Draco, if we receive any important news, to do with Ginny or anything, we'll contact you via these," supplied Arthur, showing Draco two small smooth pieces of clean parchment. "They work like two way mirrors, but are a lot more discreet. If you need to contact us, or vice versa, just write and our paper will glow."

Draco accepted all the news and love from Ginny's family quietly and before he departed, he quietly said, "thank you."

Draco cut the rent on the small flat that he and Ginny used to share on the basis that if or when, Ginny returned, she would like to return to her old family home.

Then, with the money he earned as a strategist, Draco traveled, observed and planned. He tracked down his old friend Blaise Zabini who had mysteriously disappeared at the onset of War. Blaise was not aligned with either the Dark or the Collective and Draco found this impartiality refreshing and the two easily picked up their childhood friendship.

The destruction - psychologically and physically - that was wrought upon the people both Blaise and Draco observed prompted the pair to plan for a post-war world. The Zabini's and Malfoy's had always been closely aligned in their family history and so decided to start sweeping business empire after the war concluded. Blaise still had access to his family's fortune whilst Draco knew his family's accounts would be unfrozen later on. Their combined fiscal power would power investments, industry and construction in both the muggle and Wizarding worlds. They would offer potent and useful services like humanitarian aid and private loans in a war-torn world.

They would exploit the market that broken societies would provide.

The two men were meticulous as they observed and planned in unison, but at the very concept of their plans, Draco forewarned Blaise, "if Ginny doesn't come home. I can't guarantee myself to be a reliable business partner." The dark man only nodded in understanding.

Though Blaise's friendship and the plan they shared made time go somewhat faster, Draco still felt the dragging weight of Ginny's absence. He thought about her in his every waking moment that wasn't filled with distractions. Often, he would look at Ginny's lock of hair tied in a green ribbon and get lost in the vibrancy of the red or he would pull out a shrunken photo album and expand it with his wand and spend hours gazing at photographs of themselves.

Letters between Draco and Ginny were few and far in between. The level of conflict and hostility in Europe was the highest in the world and most mail was postponed in delivery until many battles were fought and won, or lost. The letters themselves were very short, for Ginny could not express her emotions about her experience in war due to security issues and Draco had no desire to reveal his plans with Blaise, again due to the reading of all incoming mail by The Collective's military officials. Draco showered Ginny with as much love as he could on a piece of parchment whilst her replies, the very fact she sent mail back, proved to Draco she was still alive, still okay and still able to write.

It was the winding down of summertime that Draco discovered that his fiancé was being relieved of her duty. He and Blaise were touring some of the major cities of Japan to scout their future business prospects in the Asian sector and they had just ascended the stairs to their muggle hotel bedrooms after a long night of reveling in friendship of their new Japanese friends.

Blaise and Draco had a great night, where there were large shouts of laughter intermingling in the air, dishes upon dishes of the finest Japanese cuisine arriving under their noses and unlimited amounts of sake seemed to fill their cups. The conversation flowed erratically but continuously, both the Englishmen and the Japanese enjoying the attempts each other made to speak each other's language. The young Japanese women seemed abundant in their restaurant as well and despite the tough language barriers, many were attracted to the two tall foreigners; one dark and one pale but both mysterious and handsome.

That evening, Draco was caught in a state of much despair and joy. He felt that he and Blaise had made the right choice in seeking business associates in Japan and he truly did enjoy the hospitable and friendly atmosphere that the Japanese were invoking. However Draco was continuously distracted by the very friendly Japanese girls who were flirting outrageously with himself and Blaise. On one level, Draco could feel himself very attracted to the black-haired girls with their slanted eyes and endearing lack of height, but at the same time, every time he looked at the beautiful women, he thought of a different one, one who did not possess an Asiatic tan or flowing black hair, but instead had very pale skin lightly dotted with freckles and a riot of red wavy hair.

Throughout the whole evening, the same painful process continued for Draco. _Hot chick, wow, really hot chick speaking broken English into my ear. Ohhh yes indeed that sounds like a good way to spend the evening, wait, Ginny is a bit more articulate than that. Damn it! Merlin, I wish Ginny was here - I hope you are safe. _

His inner-thoughts traveled in circles as Draco conversed with the people around him and he felt immense stabs of guilt at the thought of Ginny alone and fighting in a bloody war whilst he was surrounded in life's luxuries – food, drink and friendly people.

Blaise on the other hand was delirious with joy and alcohol. Draco smirked amusedly at his friend who drunkenly kissed two women on the cheek and then grinned at Draco. At the fun evening's end, hands were shook between the various now-business partners and Draco, Blaise and the two women took their leave up to their hotel rooms.

Blaise traipsed into his own hotel room with a horny grin and bid Draco a drunken goodnight whilst the two women giggled and waved before Draco himself tilted his head in acknowledgement and turned to his own room tiredly.

After he showered, brushed his teeth and changed for the evening, Draco sat in his bed and retrieved his journal. His journal housed not private thoughts, but the ins and outs of his and Blaise's business dealings around the globe in the past year and a half. Draco added something at least once every two days, and tonight, in light of the clinched deal with the Japanese, he was going to jot down a lot. The page he was up to was bookmarked by the two-way parchment that Arthur had given him before he left England and to Draco's immense shock – it was glowing.

Draco's steady heart suddenly exploded into drumming palpitations, his grey eyes widened in surprise and the pale hands that held the journal went painfully rigid.

It was understood that the two-way parchment would only be activated with news of Ginny or any other event that was drastically serious. Draco was frozen in fear and his mind raced. Was Ginny alive or dead? What would her parents' missive entail?

An agonizing moment later, Draco yanked the parchment from the pages of the journal and scanned it frantically. What he learnt was something that made him relax with supreme relief and joy.

_Draco dear, Ginny along with Ron are coming home! _

_They'll arrive back at the Ministry on the 29__th__ of September, two days from now._

_Come back home Draco! Bring Blaise too!_

_With much love and excitement,_

_Arthur and Molly _

The worry, the fear, the anger and the largely unexpressed love for Ginny that Draco had harboured within himself silently suddenly drained away – the pressure relieved. His personal turmoil was over and he suddenly felt _alive _again. Some deity out in the universe was merciful to his one most important desire. Draco could return to England and soon hold his fiancé in his arms and never, ever, let go again.

_How, _Draco mused before he closed his eyes for the night with a soft smile on his face, _could I ever let go of happiness twice?_

▪Ж▪

A warm afternoon breeze tugged its way through Draco's loose platinum hair as he traversed through the masses of families that were waiting in the Ministry of Magic's outdoor portkey fields. Draco impatiently went to yank his left hand out of his pocket to check the time but Blaise's deep voice from beside him halted his actions.

"Mate, just two more minutes. You're going to get repetitive strain injury if you keep flicking your wrist like that," he muttered. Draco simply pursed his lips in response and began tapping his foot impatiently.

Close to Draco was Hermione, Fleur, Harry, Penelope and the rest of the Weasley family, and miraculously, all of it, bar Ginny and Ron. No Weasley had perished in the war – and with that blessing, the remaining children took the injuries they had sustained without complaint. Bill's left arm was permanently injured, which meant he could not rotate it much without extreme pain. One of Charlie's kidneys was punctured and the wound was left unattended for too long the organ to the saved. Percy was permanently deaf in one ear and both Fred and George were recovering from poisonous smoke inhalation caused from the smoke arising from a fire created through dark magic.

Right on four o'clock, two contingents, noticeably smaller than the one that departed a year and a half ago, suddenly appeared. The regimented lines the soldier-Aurors formed were only maintained for a couple of seconds before uproarious cheering suddenly filled the air and the black-clad soldiers and civilians suddenly tore across the field to greet each other.

"Where is she?" Draco yelled over the din.

He and the rest of the Weasley's scanned the milling crowd before George suddenly coughed, "there!" Draco frantically glanced at the direction of George's finger to see Ginny about thirty metres away hugging Luna, who after the hug melted away into the crowd.

Draco's feet immediately began to move as he half ran, half strode toward the short woman with the short red hair. Ginny was scanning the crowds anxiously and as she turned around to look in the direction behind her, she suddenly came face to face with a tall blonde haired man looking at her intensely.

Ginny's mind shut off in a sudden onrush of bliss and she didn't even realise how tenderly she had called her fiancé's name. Draco wasted no time wrapping his arms around Ginny and likewise she clung to Draco's body as tightly as she could, needing his physical presence there to reassure herself he was real, that holding him was not a vivid dream and that she was truly _home. _With every inch of their bodies pressing into each other's and Draco's deep voice right at Ginny's ears saying over and over and over that he loved her – Ginny felt _safe. _She had not felt so safe, so secure and so wonderfully protected in over a year.

▪Ж▪

The Weasley reunion with their two youngest was an emotionally charged one, with hugs of relief and joy shared by all. Ron and Ginny both slid deeper and deeper into a sense of security back at The Burrow, as the immediacy of their family and the familiarity of their childhood home calmed the two exhausted soldiers.

Molly had prepared a large welcome home dinner in honour of Ginny and Ron where all the loved ones of the Weasley's were invited. The two youngest siblings were still in a sense of shock though, and after the initial round of hugs and "I've missed you"'s and "I love you"'s, Ginny and Ron were quiet and simply trying to readjust to the civilian setting of The Burrow. A large portion of The Weasley's, had been involved in active service at some point and immediately understood the troubled looks that haunted Ron and Ginny's expressions and their lack of superficial conversation.

Draco sat unmoved by Ginny's side throughout the whole night, barely touching his own food and assisting her in achieving every possible desire from passing the potatoes to picking up the fork Ginny had accidentally knocked off her plate.

Hermione mirrored Draco's movements with Ron, who kissed her gently every time her eyes filled with happy tears.

Arthur and Molly's eyes swept continuously up and down their very large dining table and they smiled softly. It was obvious that Ron and Ginny were seriously hurt; their downcast eyes, hunched shoulders and general air of withdrawal assented to that. Their hearts went out to their two youngest children who too had finally been dragged through war, just like their older siblings. Arthur squeezed Molly's hand under the table and gave her a warm look however. The body of their family was still intact, Ron and Ginny were alive. The two were not lost limbs, but completed the family. Hurt as they were – the rest of the body would work together to heal the injury and relieve the pain. Time would pass, what would remain would become a scar.

▪Ж▪

After dinner was over, Ginny hugged all of her family again, including Harry, but she hugged Ron the longest – their eyes connecting and sad memories were silently remembered. Ginny was introduced to Blaise whose very witty and sharp personality she liked very much.

"You're right to camp with Potter in the family room?" asked Draco and Zabini nodded, a smirk on his lips at the thought of the conversation ahead.

Both Draco and Ginny felt achingly good when their arms twined around each other's body as they traveled up the stairs to Ginny's old room. Both were silent for the moment and savouring the sensation of reunion. Inside, Draco sat down on the edge of Ginny's bed as she stood in the middle of her room and stared around it in quiet wonder.

_I'm back. I am back home. My room… so beautiful. Draco, right where he belongs, in my bed – with me. _

Draco felt achy again as he watched Ginny silently looking around. He inspected her closely and was saddened at her changes. Ginny was rail-thin, and the way she stood was unconsciously tense like she was expecting an attack on herself any minute. Some fine lines had appeared prematurely on her youthful face and to Draco, her sparse freckles seemed duller. What disturbed Draco the most, what he feared so much about Ginny entering the war, apart from her dying, was confirmed. Ginny was haunted, so haunted. Her usually bright brown eyes were dull and constantly wary and flickering about in surveillance, a force of habit that Draco found hard to change even in years living a civilian's life.

Ginny moved very stealthily and very efficiently, another change Draco immediately picked up. Ginny was always rather graceful and coordinated, unlike his cousin Tonks, but now she moved like liquid and sounded like… nothing. Ginny always complained that Draco was so sneaky and that he always surprised her, but now Draco knew that Ginny had been exposed to many deadly reasons why utmost skill in stealth was needed in a war.

The lightweight black military robes that Ginny was garbed in were removed and hung silently over the back of her bedroom's chair, revealing her to be wearing a tight leather vest, close-fitting black pants and a pair of black knee-height leather boots. It suddenly struck Draco that Ginny looked like a assassinating pixie, what with the non-loose fitting and all-black attire and her shaggy short hair.

Ginny then revealed to Draco her weapon's stash. She leant down to her boots and withdrew a sharp glinting dagger from each, four throwing stars from the padding of her bra, two small moderately bright balls from one of her trouser pockets that Draco recognised as super bright flares that blinded an enemy, a spare wand tucked into the back of Ginny's vest and amazingly, Ginny cooed, "come on out Tickles," a miniature multi-hued dragon hopped out of hiding in Ginny's short hair and jumped onto her shoulder.

"This is Tickles," said Ginny softly with a smile at the small creature that was gently puffing smoke in contentment.

"Tickles," Draco greeted, his eyes twinkling not at the dragon, animals whom Draco loved, but the beautiful smile that had suddenly cleared Ginny's drawn expression.

The small dragon flew to Ginny's open windowsill to sit by the breeze as Ginny placed all of her weaponry old her childhood desk. She was almost done. She had rid herself of the dangerous, glinting pieces of metal and she had only two more things to do.

Ginny stripped herself bare of her close-fitting military attire and kicked them unceremoniously into a corner and enjoyed the feeling of bodily freedom that sheer nakedness afforded her. She could feel Draco's eyes watching her intensely and she felt a warm blossom of emotion warm her insides and paused to enjoy the heat before she reached into her old wardrobe and pulled out a worn pair of pajamas.

Ginny was couldn't wait to throw herself into Draco's arms but she had one last thing to do before she felt somewhat relieved of the sense of wartime that shrouded her physical body. Reaching up into the top shelves of her wardrobe, she pulled out a small bottle and drank a mouthful. Immediately, she could feel her hair growing. When her wavy locks reached past her shoulders to rest comfortingly on her back, Ginny tapped her head with her own wand and the growth stopped.

The sense of comfort from her own clothes and her normally long hair soothed Ginny, and now she felt somewhat normal. Somewhat.

Her feet automatically tracked across her small bedroom's floor silently and when she reached Draco, when she felt the muscles in his strong arms around her and the fineness of his blonde hair – when she locked her eyes onto his familiar grey pair, Ginny again felt safe and protected, but this time she did not feel blinding relief, she felt as if she had reached a quiet, personal chamber created only for her own intimate thoughts and raging emotions. Ginny had been waiting for what seemed like eons to finally stop repressing her natural emotions for the sake of war. With her face buried into Draco's neck and his lips gently on hers, Ginny felt an uncontrollable surge of love as she always did with Draco, and with this sudden surge an emotional barrier that Ginny had constructed carefully during her time in Europe was shattered.

Ginny let out the first painful sob since she had first arrived in Europe and witnessed the horrors, and in some faraway place in her troubled mind Ginny was aware of how utterly tortured it sounded. Now she had started, she couldn't stop. The roiling waves of emotions spawned from loss, fear and desperation all surfaced from the dark depths of Ginny's mental repression and now all she could do was try to keep breathing – not drown.

Draco clearly felt the reverberations from Ginny's heartrending sobs and he could feel his heart break. Ginny needed not to tell Draco about what she had witnessed in Europe, he had lived it, experienced it and privately cried over it before. Draco knew exactly what kind of pain Ginny was in and gently pulled her down to lie horizontal with him as he held her. Draco understood that with what Ginny had experienced, a lifetime of tears wouldn't be enough to permanently relieve the pain.

▪Ж▪

Draco's first personal ordeal was over, Ginny was safe at home and all in one piece. Now he had to try and support Ginny as she faced the difficult period of adjustment back to civilian life that most army personal felt.

For the first few months after Ginny arrived home, she spent most of her time at The Burrow basking in the slow-paced steady presence of her family. Draco devoted all of his time to the redheaded woman who had not yet lost the troubled look in her eyes or the perpetual wariness in her posture.

Although Colin had officially diagnosed it for Ginny, everyone was quite aware that she was suffering from combat stress – just like her brothers did.

Every couple of nights or so, Ginny would awake gasping, her one of her hands clenched in a fist and the other gripping her wand tightly and poised at an invisible enemy. Every night Draco was by her side, whispering soothingly to her and continuously reinforcing the fact that she was _home _and that she was safe.

After the trembling and hyperventilation slowed and Ginny was rocked to a more peaceful slumber, she would wake in the arms of her fiancé, who would be bathed in the gentle British sunlight. Every morning she woke to his presence, a little edge of fear was chipped away from her heart. No matter how late Ginny awoke, he would always be there.

Hermione and Draco talked one night a couple of weeks after Ron and Ginny's return.

"How's Weasley coping?" muttered Draco to Hermione tiredly.

"_Ron, _is not too good. Nightmares, hyperventilating. Always paranoid, like Mad-Eye, just without the mutterings of 'constant vigilance' all the time. He phases out during the day, his blue eyes just gloss over. I can't imagine what he's thinking about." The bushy-haired woman shuddered slightly. "No media would ever, could ever, reveal what goes on in combat. I can't imagine… how is Ginny though?"

"Same," sighed Draco, putting his face in his hands in an uncharacteristic display of distress. "She's exhausted of course, but then when she sleeps she can't truly rest. She was vomiting a lot, when she just got back – but that's slowed a bit now. I think repression's starting to kick in now. Also, like Ron – she just can't really relax."

"Ron has another think coming if he agrees to go back into service. He might have survived Europe, and we've, Harry, him and I – we've been through a lot of stuff, but nothing has ever hit us this hard," said Hermione softly with conviction.

"Granger," replied Draco with a grimace, "for the first time in my life, I have to agree with you. Unfortunately for me, I know exactly the sorts of things that would have gone on in Europe. I trained with them."

Hermione turned her eyes to the tired-looking blonde man and opened her mouth to enquire but Draco cut her off.

"Trust me Granger," Draco muttered in darkly. He started for the stairs and said directly to the worried woman. "You don't want to know."

Draco ascended the steps to Ginny's room and pushed the door open quietly to reveal his fiancé sleeping fitfully. Every now and then her body twitched and her eyes moved frantically underneath their pale lids.

The tall blonde man paused as empathetic pain surged in his chest at the sight of Ginny's discomfiture. As he softly slipped into her magically enlarged childhood bed, Draco recalled Ginny telling him about her most troubled experience in the war.

"Draco," Ginny had whispered, finally feeling strong enough to tell her fiancé about her time in battle.

"Yeah baby?" Draco had replied just as anxiously, letting Ginny cradle his hands to her chest.

"Draco, I, I guess I can accept the… oh Merlin…" tears trickled down a familiar path on Ginny's pale cheeks as she continued. "At least the… terrible, scary, just, downright heartless things they did, the r-rape, torture, twisted murders, it w-was explained because they were Death Eaters-" Ginny let out an uncontrollable sob as she saw through her mind's eye. "I'll never feel the same about anything anymore Draco – because some of our people, t-they did the same. Everything I fought so hard for… I couldn't do it anymore Draco! But somehow I did… I did, I kept fighting."

▪Ж▪

As Christmas rolled around, Ginny was improving. The extremely haunted look in her eyes was beginning to fade somewhat, no doubt because of the intoxicating Christmas cheer that seemed to always pervade the Weasley household during the latter couple of months of the year.

Draco had noted two very permanent changes in Ginny since she had arrived back home just after the summer. Firstly, Ginny could not stand the sight of blood. The husband and wife to-be were in The Burrow's bathroom, preparing themselves for the day when Draco got distracted by the redhead's cleavage in the reflection of the mirror and nicked his neck with his razor. Blood immediately raced down Draco's pale neck but he did not take any action to relieve the bleeding at first – for Ginny had suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Her body was shaking and she was inching for the toilet, breathing hard.

"Get out," Ginny demanded breathlessly, her trained sense of smell immediately picking up on the distinct tang of blood. "Please, Draco, stop bleeding."

The second thing Draco noticed was that Ginny had suddenly lost all of her tolerance to cold. They were out in the wide Weasley backyard, taking a private walk when the temperature suddenly dropped and a slight night chill entered the air. To Draco, it was cold enough to be uncomfortable, but it was not unbearable.

Ginny however suddenly shivered violently and immediately turned to Draco's body for warmth.

"What's wrong Ginny?" Draco had asked with alarm.

"C-c-coldest winter in Russia. Trench warfare… I thought I was going to _die…" _

One of the biggest problems that Ginny faced however, was with her own fiancé. The day after she had just returned from war, she woke up to Draco's arms around her. Ginny basked in the first measure of happiness she had felt in a while when Draco's left arm suddenly lifted as he yawned beside her, and it revealed the Dark Mark leering down at her from his pale forearm.

Ginny's first reaction was to scream in pure fear. From her experience in battle, the Dark Mark was the first sign of terrible, terrible happenings. Whenever a dwelling had the mark above it, what she would discover inside made her sleepless for nights. Normally Ginny never made a sound – but she had let some of her defenses down when she had returned home.

She scrambled from her bed and clutched wildly for her wand as her second reaction and pointed it at Draco's neck as she breathed furiously and thought of a curse.

"Ginny," came the pained voice from the man on her bed. Reality suddenly came crashing down on Ginny and she dropped her wand, horrified that she was about to curse her fiancé.

Draco didn't know what to do and he felt wretched. Bile rose up at the back of his throat in anger at himself for causing her pain. At that point and time, he _would _be a continuous source of pain for Ginny. It was summertime – so wearing long sleeves would be impractical, and the pair felt just as comfortable around each other naked as they did clothed.

"Oh Draco, Draco no it's okay. It just scared me. I love you, I love you, I love you. I'll try to not let it bother me, I promise," Ginny had supplied as Draco's tortured eyes bore holes into hers.

To Draco's great relief, Ginny held true to her promise. In their moments alone, Ginny would take Draco's forearm and stare at the Mark to try to fight down the initial feelings of fear, disgust and horror. She would gaze for long moments at Draco's handsome patient face and back to the leering Mark to try to reconcile the two expressions. The more she did it, the more she felt comfortable in its appearance.

Ginny, apart from these setbacks had finally felt like she was regaining some measure of control, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she said yes to a social outing.

Luna suffered from the war too but had a different way with coping with pain. She embraced it and tried to turn the sad energy into happiness, like she had in her Hogwarts days. It was impossible, she knew, to ever subvert the horrors that she witnessed in Europe but her technique was somewhat successful, she could keep her head afloat.

She and Colin had been visiting The Burrow towards the end of November and were, despite themselves, eager to take Ginny out. Colin too had witnessed the brutality of many soldiers' injuries so he and Luna wanted Ginny to come out with them to _try _to make life normal again. With their constant visits, Ginny's family's constant reassurance, Fleur's exciting pregnancy, Draco's love and the pressing need to buy Christmas presents, Ginny suddenly felt like she had a chance to breathe.

During the trio's shopping trip in Diagon Alley, Ginny was amazed to find out that Blaise, who had been looking after business for Draco as he devoted his time to his fiancé, had struck up the beginnings of a relationship with Luna. Colin too seemed to have been lucky in love too – as he recently bumped into Miranda, his ex-patient from almost two years ago and discovered that she was newly single.

Despite the heaviness that lingered in Ginny's heart, she found she could smile cheekily, "no wonder you two are so eager to start afresh! You guys could be getting lucky!"

Both Luna and Colin smiled warmly at Ginny and said one after another;

"And Ginny," said Colin in his friendly voice.

"You're already the luckiest one here," continued Luna. Colin picked up Ginny's left hand and tapped her engagement ring.

Ginny's breath caught as she realized what her friends were trying to tell her. The possibilities of her future with Draco suddenly exploded to life in her mind and Ginny found herself struck and unable to move.

Again, Ginny suddenly burst into tears – but they were happy ones instead of sadness and the three friends leant in to hug each other fiercely in the middle of the alley.

▪Ж▪

Ginny understood that a deep well of sadness took would reside permanently in her heart. It would be the emotional battle scar inflicted upon her amongst her various physical ones. Christmas came and went really well for her and it lifted her spirits greatly.

However, Ginny still seemed unable to stop worrying at her wounds. Despite the few months that had passed and the sparks of happiness her friends ignited, Ginny still felt cottoned by her horrific recollections of war. What really shook Ginny out of her deep, deep internal anguish to a more livable level was Draco getting sick.

One frosty January evening, Ginny was lying in bed, waiting for Draco to join her so she could simply hold her until she could sleep easy. Soon her fiancé entered and as always, took Ginny into his arms - but this time Draco's racking coughs were reverberating through her body.

"Draco?" Ginny questioned with concern.

"No, no go back to sleep. It's okay, I'm good," Draco wheezed before he suddenly burst into another fit of coughing. Undeterred, Ginny pressed her palm to his flushed forehead and gasped. It was boiling. Draco's coughs were getting chestier and a light sheen of sweat was starting to form on his face.

"Muuuum!" yelled Ginny down the stairs and Molly soon came rushing up with a concerned expression on her face.

"What? What is it?"

"Take a look at Draco!" Ginny said in panic.

Molly immediately rushed to her son-in-law to-be's side and fussed over him, checking his temperature and pressing her ear to Draco's chest.

"Charlie's had this before," Molly replied grimly. "It's the dragon's cough. It's not serious Ginny, but it's not mild either. Untreated, it could get nasty."

"Is he going to be okay? Look at him mum! He's all red and he just about can't breathe! Do we need to take him to St Mungo's? I'll go get my wand," babbled Ginny, but Molly stopped her daughter with a smile.

"No dear, I've got left over potions from Charlie's bout. We can get some more tomorrow. Just look after him Ginny – he'll be fine."

Ginny settled back onto her bed but with no intentions of sleeping. "Okay mum, get the medicine and teach me how to give it to him," she muttered, gripping Draco's hand protectively as he wheezed piteously.

Molly arched her brow as she left Ginny's room with surprise and pleasure. Of course she did not wish illness on the young Mr Malfoy, but the determination on Ginny's face to nurse him through the nasty dragon's cough was a stark contrast to her, well, moping during the last few months.

▪Ж▪

Draco's convalescence lasted over two weeks whereby Ginny completely babied the man and kept up a non-stop stream of tittering and fussing. Throughout this period, Draco continuously rasped aloud to Ginny that he was "fine" and "he'd get better himself" and that he wasn't a "child." Secretly though, the blonde man adored the redhead's generous attentions and he did feel relieved, despite himself, that for once he was the one being looked after instead. Ginny would unnecessarily attend to his every whim, gently massage his aching muscles with wonderful firmness and steadiness and pepper him with kisses and soft croons of comfort.

"You'll get sick," Draco had warned, but Ginny had shrugged and kissed him again, silencing their brief conversation. Her constant companionship made Draco's bout of dragon's cough seem to pass quickly – although he did have his speculations that Ginny's undivided attention worked as a placebo.

For Ginny, she felt suddenly wrenched from her tortuous, but repetitive mental anguish and thrust into a new sea of worry – Draco's health. Abject worry and sympathy for her fiancé made her suddenly forget all of her problems as she nursed him back to health. Ginny's emotions ranged from concern at the outbreak of Draco's sickness to happiness and relief as he made the slow transition from severe, painful coughing and raging fever to uninterrupted breathing and perspiration-free slumbers.

The emotional changes that Ginny were feeling acted as a sort of pivotal point for her. Draco was a physical wreck, but he was young and healthy and recovered relatively quickly with the aid of medicine. Ginny did not mind one iota being by his side for the majority of each day, but she realized how much worry she was subject to – and it occurred to her, how much worry and heartache Draco must have harboured when he was tending to _her _mental injuries. Ginny would never have wanted Draco ill in any circumstance, but having to suddenly nurse his illness snapped her out of a deep funk. It revealed to her that she wasn't embracing Draco as he deserved. Draco knew that Ginny loved him, she had made sure of that in the years of their relationship, but ever since her return from war, Ginny had been one-sidedly guzzling up Draco's devotion to her.

These thoughts struck Ginny late one night when Draco was nearly fully recovered. He slept peacefully for once, emitting a small cough very rarely. _He would follow me forever. He would do whatever was best for me, he would love me forever, do anything, at any cost. _Ginny gently stroked Draco's pale stubbled cheek and she felt her heart constrict. _I could remain sad forever, a damaged shell and Draco would still be by my side. _It was the dawn of that realization that seemed so bright to Ginny, so bright that she became so utterly sure that she could _move on,_ live life and love Draco as much as she could.

There was one problem though – Ginny was only on active service leave. Her dogtags still remained looped around her neck and her soldier-Auror gear was neatly folded away in her wardrobe. She knew she would not be called into duty again for another period time, but that could only be months away. Ginny did not trust the local media either for information either – government intervention through media censorship effectively reduced print such as the _Daily Prophet _to superficially informative pieces of propaganda. _Keep them ignorant, keep them hopeful _Ginny had thought to herself grimly as she pondered the progress of the war.

One evening, very soon after Draco's recovery – Ginny felt her soul expand in relief and her heart palpitate in joy. Early that night, Molly had entered her daughter's bedroom to hand Ginny a letter that had come through via owl from Military HQ. The very fact that the message was sent through owl immediately caught Ginny's attention. Communication through owls was easily infiltrated and posed a massive security risk.

Thanking her mother, Ginny quickly then proceeded to use she her dagger to split open the envelope cleanly (roughly opened envelopes were a pet peeve of hers) and read the contents. The words were a blur as Ginny rapidly skimmed through it but her eyes froze at two small sentences in particular;

_The Collective Forces have won the war._

_You are released from active duty._

Ginny made a little choking noise in the back of her throat, born from fierce surprise and joy. She couldn't believe it, but yet she embraced this news wholeheartedly too. The happiness Ginny suddenly felt was intoxicating and she rode the high whilst she kept rereading the same sentences, reveling in the sheer positivity of it.

At the same time, Draco emerged from his nightly shower in nothing but his boxers, eager to twine his bare legs around Ginny's under the doona for a well-wanted restful night's sleep. The sight that greeted him as he entered Ginny's room nearly gave him a literal heart attack. In the soft candlelight, Ginny clutched her dagger to her chest as she held a piece of parchment in her other hand. Draco's mind jumped to rapid conclusions in a matter of moments and he felt pure fear spread from his chest to all of his extremities.

"Ginny, oh no, baby, don't. Put the dagger down, I swear, it's not worth it – I can help you through it all," Draco babbled in panic.

Ginny whipped her head around in surprise and nearly choked again.

"Draco! No, no, no I'm not trying to kill myself!" she replied hastily, putting the dagger back down on her desk. "I was just holding the flat of the blade to my chest in surprise. It's okay Draco." Ginny felt extreme relief at Draco's relief – she could not imagine the utter fear that would have gripped him.

As Draco tried to steady his racing heart, Ginny seemed to float across her room to clutch his hands.

"Draco," Ginny said with a wide honest smile.

"Yeah Ginny?" he replied, lifting their hands and kissing hers – his mind trying to absorb the sudden and beautiful sparkle in Ginny's brown eyes amongst the disappearing tendrils of fear within the rest of him.

"Draco, let's get married," she whispered – and not waiting for a reply, she leaned in to give Draco a drugging kiss.

Draco felt stunned. _What's changed? _He wondered vaguely, enjoying the feeling of Ginny's gentle, adventurous tongue mapping out his own. Ginny's suddenly happy smile, the sparkle in her eyes and her less-than-docile kisses were confusing him, in the good exciting way - _the way that it used to feel. _

"Let's get married," Ginny breathed hard. "Soon," she continued, pausing for a kiss. "This spring," she continued again before allowing herself to grin uncontrollably to express how incredibly _free _she suddenly felt. Cheekily, she refused to allow Draco to reply yet again as she arched her lips to Draco's neck, kissing and biting.

Draco groaned uncontrollably, clutching the short woman to himself tightly before regaining his senses with difficulty.

"Wench," he said in a deeper, huskier voice he hadn't used in a long time. Ginny felt zings of electricity shoot up from scalp to toe at the tone, her heart rate quickened and _not _because of a terrible dreamt apparition for once.

"Gods, Weasley," Draco continued, taking in a sharp breath as Ginny naughtily bit on his collarbone. "I don't know what's gotten into you…" Draco trailed off as Ginny began to breathe hard near his ear and gyrate against his middle. With a growl, Draco tore Ginny away from him to look at her eye-to-eye. For a split second, he wondered if he was too rough with the recovering soldier but Ginny's breath hitched in excitement and her eyes smouldered at him from beneath her sooty lashes – _just as they used to. _In turn, Draco felt the course of his bloodstream take a detour to his midsection. "You're driving me _crazy._"

Ginny's thoughts flicked back to the letter of gold she had recently received and more waves of happiness crashed through her. She could suddenly _breathe _again, and the first breaths would be so sweet.

"Marry, me, Malfoy," came Ginny's staunch reply again. Her arms were clamped to her sides with Draco's wonderfully fierce grip so Ginny gently nudged the blonde's growing midsection with her knee, looking at Draco squarely.

Ginny couldn't believe how _alive _she felt at the feral glint in Draco's eyes. She provoked the dangerously seductive and ardent side in him and now she would be taken for a ride, one ride she had not been on for what felt like an eternity.

"Try and stop me, Weasley," growled Draco darkly. In a blur, he flicked his wand toward Ginny's bedroom door to shut and lock it with a non-verbal spell. Dropping it afterward without a care, he finally allowed himself to look at Ginny as a woman, not a hurt and broken loved one.

Draco took one last calculated look at Ginny, to confirm that she was ready, and coy biting of her pink lips was enough. Simultaneously, Draco felt rushes of blood to his head and his groin as he roughly proceeded to pull Ginny towards the bed, aided by her own enthusiastic dragging of him too.

As Draco re-explored, retraced and re-loved every inch of Ginny's body – he felt like he never wanted to rest again at all.

▪Ж▪

It was the soft patter of insistent rain that woke Draco the next morning. In the early moments of consciousness, Draco felt utterly relaxed and soothed and was confused as to why. He usually woke up tense and alert, worried for Ginny – and more recently, tired, coughing and uncomfortable. Soon the steamy memories of the night previous resurfaced and Draco smirked indulgently up to the standard white ceiling of Ginny's room.

After a few minutes of Draco's erotic mental replay of what occurred all night long, he looked over to Ginny who was still sleeping deeply with an arm lazily flung across his torso. Draco felt his heart quiver at the thought of her. He moved slowly in an effort to disentangle himself from Ginny's body to head to the lavatory when he caught sight of her letter tossed haphazardly onto the bedside table. Curiosity burned in Draco, and he reached for it – eager to know what it was and how it had affected Ginny in that way.

As he scanned the letter, his heart thumped and a smile grew. He now understood – the war was over – it was Ginny's resolution. Draco relaxed back into the sheets and pondered the news, the end, the end of Ginny's active service. He thought about the implications of the future and how imminent they were. Marriage, babies, capitalizing on a post-war world… restoring the Malfoy name to its pre-war prestige.

Draco kept pondering the future as he gently heaved himself over Ginny's body and when he returned from The Burrow's bathroom, Ginny was awake and rereading her letter.

"Hey," Ginny said softly, a gentle smile gracing her lips when she looked up from the letter. "So now you know," she gestured to the parchment, "why I was so happy last night."

Draco paused to just look at her, Ginny's tousled red locks, nearly disappeared freckles and the curvature of her smile. "Yeah," Draco finally replied. He shut the door quietly behind and strode quickly back to the bed and clambering on top of Ginny to kiss her deeply, because he could, because he wanted to.

Draco broke the quickly heating kiss off and reached for the silver around Ginny's neck and lifted it away from her gently. The dogtags pooled on the bedside table and the pair took a long moment to stare at it and revel in the fact that Ginny no longer needed to be under its command.

Ginny felt the dual tugs of the future and the past as she gazed at the pieces of metal. She recalled the terrible images of what had happened and yet with the dogtags on the table, not her neck, she could envision too moving on. Draco's warm hand snaked down her shoulders, to her arms and finally her hands, breaking Ginny from her internal tug-o-war. She responded by gently pushing Draco onto his back whilst simultaneously placing herself right on him. Ginny slipped Draco's boxers off and reveled in the complete skin-to-skin contact she had with the man.

The pair gazed deeply into each other's eyes, feeling it – the tangibility and permanency of their love. Ginny's hands skimmed up Draco's rough unshaven neck to reach for his cheeks, holding them firmly but gently in her hands, reassuring herself of his solidity.

Draco's eyes glinted from under his heavy-lidded eyes in a way that made Ginny feel electric.

"Draco," Ginny whispered lightly, her breath lightly fanning Draco's face pleasurably. "I am so glad to see you. I missed you so much in Europe. The days went forever, forever. It never ended. I didn't want to look ahead - all there were more days, weeks, months of fighting. I felt so suffocated.

You know, I understand torture. I got there, and I realised how, how…" Ginny didn't continue, but instead rested her forehead on Draco's.

"You realised what, Ginny?" breathed Draco lightly, tilting his head just so that their lips brushed – and there was nothing but them in their private world within Ginny's curtain of red hair.

"I realised how much I need you in my life."

Silence ensued for a long time, where both occupants of the old bedroom bathed in each other's presence.

Shakily, Ginny resumed. "I-I, now I mean, now that I _am _here, now that it _did _end and now that you're just so, here… and, with the end of the war, I feel like I can admit that I don't ever, _ever _want to go back. Once is enough for me…" Ginny trailed off and Draco frowned.

"And…?" Draco sensed he was on the cusp of something big with Ginny - an admittance of weakness, a natural instinct to shy away from horror selfishly.

"If they called me back, if the war had not been won – I wouldn't have gone back," whispered Ginny guiltily.

Draco's grey eyes widened in response and his hands gripped Ginny's hips tightly.

"I'd feel so guilty, I'd, I'd be deserting The Collective. I'd be chickening out – and everyone would forgive me because I'm the bloody _woman. _If, if you weren't in the picture – I'd deliberate thoroughly… but I know I would have gone back into service… but Draco. I have you again, and… and you mean everything to me and… and I just wouldn't be able to leave you. I love you too much. I've-"

Ginny's voice cracked and she paused in an attempt to control the flow of tears. "-I've seen _so _many people _die _Draco. When people are dying left, right and centre for a seemingly faraway cause, it makes you think. I _hate _myself for this, but I don't know if persecuting Voldemort is that prioritized for me anymore Draco. I _should _be devoting _everything _I have for his downfall but I am so sick of the fight. I don't want it anymore. I don't want to grind my way through the day, scrub blood off myself at night and be disillusioned. I don't _want _to champion the democratic free world anymore – but I want to live in one. Essentially though, I just want you, really."

Draco was finding it hard to breathe with the influx of information from Ginny's admittance and her absolute love for him.

"Guilt… it makes you feel like shit when you're compelled to do something, same too for when you don't. If that were the case, Ginny, if The Collective didn't win this goddamn war, remember – you'd have me, all of me, and guilt. If you went, you'd have to live the nightmare again, but you wouldn't have me. Ginny – stand up for yourself. Milk every situation for what it's worth," replied Draco with cold clarity.

Ginny nodded sadly, trying to justify her would-be actions in her head.

"Hey, hey, hey," murmured Draco softly, instantly changing his tone tucking Ginny's waves behind her ears to stroke her face gently. "Look at me Ginny." Her brown eyes, sparkling because of the layer of tears flicked to Draco's grey pair. "It's a choice you don't even have to make. The war is _over. _Voldemort is down. You _fought for it – _you have achieved and you have survived. What's only left is to be happy. You know it."

With Draco's words, Ginny felt her spirits lift again – higher than the previous night's level.

"It's so simple," Ginny smiled, realization filtering through – her thought returning back to their conversation at the beach years ago.

"You and I, we're human. We're inherently selfish, and you want me more than _anything, _and now _you_ know it," drawled Draco lazily before crushing his lips to hers in a passionate and bruising kiss.

_-f…i…n-_

▪Ж▪

_Epilogue…_

Draco and Ginny wed in the spring of that very year at a large, lavish ceremony – having the best in everything, food, wine, entertainment, venue.

Draco and Blaise's business got off to a predictably roaring start, and the flush of success was permanent. Luna, who later became a Zabini, and Ginny were integral members of the business too, becoming powerful international focal points in their success.

The Malfoy name was slowly restored over the following years. As Draco often haughtily announced, the Malfoys were a family of long lineage - their family tree dating centuries back. Their power and influence was never essentially centered around the late Dark Lord, his presence within the Malfoys only indentified with Wolfgang, Lucius' predecessor and Lucius himself at the head of the family.

Ginny received awards and medals for gallantry and bravery for her service in the war. Upon reflection, Ginny could honestly admit to herself that she deserved the recognition - modesty would only be pretentious in her case.

Draco and Ginny had three children - two sons and a daughter. They were all mixed models of their parents, the eldest son Jasper a spitting image of Ron really, with unruly red hair and freckles. The middle child Riley could easily have been mistaken for Draco, with fine almost white blonde hair and a steely grey gaze. Their daughter Natasha was somewhat of a difference, in appearance and existence. Like Ginny, Natasha was an unexpected gender. Malfoys almost always produced sons as heirs, the last daughter dating back a good nine decades earlier. Natasha was an interesting mix of both Ginny and Draco – with long flowing blonde hair like her father's and second older brother's, freckles like the Weasley's and a smile that was an exact replica of her mother's.

Jasper, Riley and Natasha were reared at the re-acquired Malfoy Manor and sent to Hogwarts. The three grew up happily, given the upbringing Ginny had and one that Draco had missed out on. Natasha and Jasper were both sorted into Slytherin and Riley Gryffindor – the next generation of Malfoys.

They were most certainly a mixture of their parents in personality as well. Jasper and Natasha dominantly showed elements of Draco's frostier approach to others whilst Riley was prone to blowing a fuse in stressful situations, something his parents always noted as "uncle Ron-like." There had been tensions between the siblings and their friends as they all held a natural aversion to each other, being Slytherins and Gryffindors, but due to Draco and Ginny's very family-oriented rearing of their children, all three parties got over their differences… eventually.

Natasha would always have an eye-roll ready at the rare unified front of her brothers at Hogwarts however – whenever a boy was around her, Jasper and Riley were sure to band together to berate the poor lad she was trying to hold a conversation with.

For Ginny and Draco's honeymoon, Ginny was given a surprise. As their wedding reception drew to a close, Draco placed a possessive kiss on his wife's lips, the impression of Colin's camera flashes dancing underneath their closed eyelids. Ginny allowed herself to be side-along apparated with her husband whilst their lips were still locked.

Ginny's breath caught when she materialized into a shallow body of water. Her eyes flew open and she gaped openly at the setting.

It was their island – perfect down to the last moment of inky blue-black sky and twinkling star.

Up ahead further on the beach lay a low bed surrounded by bamboo flares and beside her was her husband, holding his arm out for her with a smirk.

Ginny at last knew what it was like to be a Malfoy as she gazed back at Draco's achingly beautiful face. It was about scouting, appreciating and capturing the _best _in life – and Ginny had done just that. After all, humans are inherently selfish and the blonde haired man and red headed woman had claimed exactly what their hearts truly desired; each other.


End file.
